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 Jennifer Derrick
I’m not a social butterfly by any means. Never have been; it’s just not in my makeup. I have a very small circle of good friends (like maybe four) that I’ve known most of my adult life and that’s about it. The rest of the people in my circle are acquaintances that come […]

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 Jennifer Derrick
Along with tracking my “penny wise” savings this year, another thing I vowed to do was to track where I found money. I don’t mean “finding” as in digging in my couch cushions or getting my tax refund. I mean finding money that wasn’t lost by me. Each day that I found money, […]

By Cortni Marrazzo
We recently had our first snow of the winter and now my city is under a blanket of white. Snow sure makes everything more beautiful (except the roads and my car). Many people take advantage of winter sports like skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling, but these activities can come with quite a […]

By Jennifer Derrick
Many years ago, I started walking, then running, for fitness. I needed to exercise more and everyone told me how walking/running was such great exercise and, best of all, it was free! All I had to do, I was told, was put on a pair of sneakers that I already had and go. […]

By Shannon Christman
In England, letterboxing is old news - more than 150 years old, in fact - but I only heard about it for the first time (from two different sources) in 2007. It may be gaining more popularity because of its close relation to geocaching and the many recent books and movies about puzzle-themed […]

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
Dear Mom, I’ve been at school for three weeks now, and I still hate the pale green of my dorm room walls. What do they think we are? Prisoners? Classes are going great…
As I previously mentioned, many people love art, and as the popularity of shows like Design on a Dime shows, […]

By Meredith H. Kaiser
Yesterday, as I washed two coffee mugs that my aunt gave me, I said unexpectedly to myself, “These will be among my final things.” An image flashed before me. I saw myself, old and shrunken, seated at a little table surrounded by the few belongings worth keeping through the years; a […]

By Shannon Christman
EBay and its competitors have renewed the popularity of auction-style sales, but many online auction devotees have been too busy or too intimidated to try the real thing - a live auction. They are the equivalent of football fans who have never seen their team play in the stadium.
Even if […]

By Ann Hartter
Some students go through rigorous training. Some students attend private lessons daily, and for hours. Some students are gifted. Some students have access to thicker pocketbooks, and some students dedicate their lives to their instrument. However, “picking up” an instrument in your adult life does not have to be this rigorous; in fact, […]

By Meredith H. Kaiser
I cringe every time I hear a woman list shopping as one of her hobbies. It’s usually said with a coy smile or a giggle as if she is trying to look like a thirteen-year-old girl. If a woman makes her own cash, has socked away enough for retirement and has […]

By Ann Hartter
Newspapers are handy inventions. They are delivered to our door once a day, whether we want it today or not. They are at every grocery store, en masse. Wrinkle and shake one open, and you can find all sorts of gift ideas for your sweetie, or mom, or kid (or self). You […]

There are some things that animals produce that the average person would never imagine would be worth a lot of money. The first time I heard about all of these, I had to reread to make sure I actually was understanding the information correctly. Here are five things that animals produce that are worth far […]

When people ask me what was the best decision I made when I decided to create this website, they are often surprised when I tell them that it was my decision to quit watching TV. There is no doubt that TV costs people far more financially than they believe. For most people, TV is a […]

By Shannon Christman, special to pfadvice
Summer vacation is often a time to splurge, but it doesn’t have to be a time of splurges you’ll regret. If you want to avoid coming home with a suitcase full of t-shirts you’ll never wear or seashell creatures that don’t fit your décor, consider these ten ideas for […]

The following was sent in by Dave, a reader that doesn’t have his own blog, but thought people might find this information interesting. I agree and so here are the confessions of a dumpster diver:
If you have never dumpster dived, then you probably have an image that isn’t too positive about this activity. I […]

Whether you pursue one hobby or one hundred, equipment and supplies can get expensive. Thankfully, there are ways to have money to spare while enjoying your spare time. These ten tips can apply to a variety of hobbies, although each tip works better for some hobbies than others.
Try renting first: If you’re […]