By Ann Hartter
A hoard of junk mail has passed through my in-box and into either the shredder, a pile for reuse, or straight into the recycle bin over the years. It wasn’t until recently, though, that I started noticing how photogenic money can be in the advertising. It looks good, it’s appealing, and it’s hard […]

By Ann Hartter
I love my blue jeans. They’re a pain to find and when I do, I pay top dollar for something that fits and isn’t too fashionable. I then wear them till they’re holding on by mere threads. I do get good use out of my jeans, but the price I end up paying […]

By Ann Hartter
I went to the grocery store this morning. My list included four items. I returned with ten. It would seem I had a problem with the impulse buy. That’s not, however, the case. Four of the things I returned with were on sale, so maybe it was sale-blindness. That’s not the case either. […]

By Ann Hartter
I got a letter today from a soldier in Bagdad. She’s bored. She ranted about the perpetuality of her job, and the things she “always” does, and my first instinct is to send her another package. She suggested we send her microwavable add-hot-water foods, and movies. If it wasn’t for the cost […]

By Ann Hartter
I’m a tutor by trade. I teach a myriad of students who have a myriad of struggles with a myriad of subjects. I use my position as a former student, writer, and educational professional to get into the annual writing conference for high school students put on by the college. I teach workshops, […]

By Ann Hartter
With any luck, St. Patrick’s Day will bring full bellies and full beer mugs. While there are Irish tunes, blessings, drinks, and colors splashed about our dining rooms and bars, there are also fun stories, legends and myths to share among our friends. Being the bookworm that I am, I looked into some […]

By Ann Hartter
If you’re on this site, you’re at least going the right direction. If you’ve gone to the library to check out some books, if you’re searching through some weblogs, if you’re talking to your best friends about money instead of your high heels, you’re definitely on the right track. There are a million […]

By Ann Hartter
Mmm.. Organizational shows: watch and drool. Suddenly you find yourself grasped by the impulse to tidy your tiny world. Most of us realize that a a cluttered life can cost us money, but how can an uncluttered home put a hole in your purse?
Organization is a window into a world, a […]

By Ann Hartter
Children live in a very self-centered world as they focus on learning about themselves and how the world works according to them. As they go along, learning how to mimic parents and other adults, observing behaviors through cause and effect, they learn very early about this thing called money. It seems fitting that […]

By Ann Hartter
Christmas cheer kicked in when I returned from my vacation and decorated my house. I emptied my Post Office box into a bag, then onto my table. Christmas cards (I scribble on a notebook some addresses before the envelopes disappear), bills (none unexpected), a couple of coupons, and junk mail galore. While booting […]

By Ann Hartter
I became intrigued with collecting sheet music for various instruments, most of which I play, ever since my mom came home from an auction with a box full of sheet music in pristine condition, dated in a range of the past 100 years. She was really pleased with the score, no pun intended; […]

By Ann Hartter
I know many kids who grow up and go to college on their own dime, spending all their own hard earned cash for the next twenty years getting out of that debt. I also know of several kids who had a stockpile of cash they could use for tuition, even if they skipped […]

By Ann Hartter
My son asked for some bananas for snack, and I started singing something I had a vague recollection of: “Yes, we have no bananas, we have no bananas today!” I got the melody all wrong, and as my husband and I tried to finagle the right tune, I offered banana spread I had […]

By Ann Hartter
Somewhere along my most recent three-week vacation, I started to compare it to last year’s three-week road trip. I began to make a list of the little things that make a big difference when it comes to the price, cost, or value on vacation. Here are 20 lessons that I have learned.
1. […]

By Ann Hartter
“Silver Bells” and “Silver and Gold”, some budgets just don’t allow a gift to all who deserve something for the holidays. You know how hungry animals in cartoons see our hero as a roast bird or some other tasty morsel? Throw open your pantry and see a stack full of sparkling gifts in […]

By Ann Hartter
While not everyone was happy with my list of things about people and their money that make me angry, I find that my list of these things continues to grow. This is a new list gathered from interviews and personal experiences of the not so intelligent, moral, or legal things people do with […]

By Ann Hartter
It falls, taunting you, flake after flake, coating everything you see with white wet and cold crystals. It piles up in the corners, and in its complete blinding whiteness, all you can do is fork over your wallet. It’s a beautiful thief.
You must turn on your heat. The blanket of whiteness […]

By Ann Hartter
I get a call, “I’ve just left the third shoe store and I still can’t find what I want!” the voice speaks to me. “Did they have anything close?” I asked. “Nothing!” “Didn’t you call them first?” “Well, no, it’s an obvious thing everybody should have, isn’t it?” Apparently not, but I didn’t […]

By Ann Hartter
At craft shows, a maze of booths show off handcrafted original wares. Some things are common from show to show, like polymer clay jewelry, stained-glass window décor, and beaded designs, but it’s not the medium that matters, it’s the artist’s individuality and handiwork. I go into stores and see things mass produced and […]

By Ann Hartter
It’s time for Secret Santas all across the country. You’ll draw someone’s name, get them exactly what they ask for, and that someone will get someone else exactly what they ask for and you will eventually get what you asked for. So goes the long-lived tradition. This year, instead of the same old […]