Personal Finance Advice

You don’t have to be a wine expert to get nice quality wines at a decent price. There are plenty of wonderful wines that don’t cost an arm and a leg, and no matter what level your wine expertise, there are some simple steps that you can take to save money without compromising on quality. [...]

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 we always have because they’re what we know. We shop in the same stores we [...]

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 you care about — your kids, your family, your retirement, your career. We can help [...]

There are many people who will willingly confess that they have an addiction to coffee. It’s one of those drinks that quite a few people insist they need to consume at least once or twice a day. However, any coffee drinker knows that sometimes coffee can be pretty expensive. Fortunately, there are a number of [...]

For those of us who aren’t morning people, the thought of actively saving money as soon as we wake up might seem like an impossible task. However, there are plenty of things you can do to save money that don’t require much brain activity in the morning. One of the best ways to make saving [...]

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 associated with the crazy, extreme couponers out there. Whatever the reason, these people are uncomfortable [...]

Soda can be a delicious treat, but as many of us know, it’s a treat that’s loaded with sugar and calories. Like many delicious drinks, soda isn’t exactly a healthy drink. If you’re looking to cut back on your soda intake, there are plenty of other healthy alternatives that are just as delicious and will [...]

Gardens can be a wonderful addition to your home. Not only do they provide you with fresh produce, but they can add a nice atmosphere to your back yard. Unfortunately, sometimes gardening can become expensive. Here are a few ways to create an inexpensive garden that will keep the overall costs down: Start Plants from [...]

One area that most people try to save money is on food. Many people trying to eat healthy on a budget bemoan the fact that fresh produce doesn’t stay fresh for long. Too much of it goes to waste because it spoils too quickly. However, if you practice smart storage and shopping, you can extend [...]

Most of us have brands and products that we prefer over others. Maybe we prefer the taste or we’ve found that Product A works better than Product B. Sometimes our loyalty is rooted in the prestige a brand confers upon us or because it’s what we grew up with. Whatever the reason, we all have [...]

I really thought that I had graduated from cooking injuries now that I am doing a minimum wage challenge rather than a food challenge, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. I have two nice lumps on my head to prove it. You’re probably wondering “How the hell does someone get lumps on their [...]

If you’re looking for a way to get a new perspective on how you spend money, one of the best ways to do this is to do some type of “no spend” challenge. While there are a number of things that a no spend challenge can help improve, probably the main benefit is that it’ll [...]

View from current house sitting job I made a big mistake yesterday by not challenging my automatic assumptions. I consider myself pretty decent at doing this, yet I’m finding through this minimum wage challenge that I don’t do it nearly as well as I thought, or as often as I should. Yesterday when I took [...]

There are many ways to save money on food, but it gets a little harder to do so when you go to a restaurant. Many people enjoy fast food restaurants because the service is quick and the food is relatively cheap (but not necessarily cheaper) while others drop in from time to time when they [...]

I know it’s been a good week when I felt it was strange that I wasn’t able to go and travel someplace today, although I did get to enjoy the backyard views of the house where I was house sitting (see above). As far as weeks go, I have a feeling that it’s going to [...]

Recently I was invited to a lunch at a very pricey, exclusive restaurant in town. I accepted because it was a professional thing and I felt like the contacts I would make would justify the price tag. I was right, to an extent. I did meet a lot of people that will probably be helpful [...]

I reluctantly became a grocery shopping coupon “expert” a few years ago when I made a bet with my sister and told her that I I thought I could eat well only spending $1 a day for food. I managed to succeed doing it through the use of coupons, but I never really enjoyed the [...]

One of my favorite restaurants in town isn’t the swanky chain restaurant, the fine dining establishment, or the fast food place. It’s the simple cafeteria. You know the drill: You push your tray down the line past the steam tables laden with everything from salad to dessert. Many people think that the cafeteria isn’t good, [...]

While I am sure that you were already well aware that November 15 is National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day (how could anyone not know this?), there are a number of steps that you can take to save money while cleaning out your fridge — and really, it probably is about time that you did [...]

I recently received an email asking me if I could give some pointers on how to get a free turkey for Thanksgiving since I’d managed to buy and cook a full Thanksgiving meal for six people for under one dollar (this is what it looked like). One of the biggest obstacles that I faced with [...]