Personal Finance Advice

I hate Valentine’s Day. It’s not because I’m not a romantic. I am (but don’t tell anyone). I hate it because it’s a holiday that makes a lot of people feel badly about themselves because of what they may not have on a particular day of the year. It’s worse than trying to keep up [...]

I love hitting the after Christmas clearance sales (and the sales after any major holiday), especially as they move into the deeper discounts. There are usually plenty of items left and prices are slashed to 75 – 90 percent off. When I hit the sales I sometimes look for holiday items, but more often than [...]

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore. I found over time that the pressure to accomplish something ended up defeating any progress. Every time I’d backslide or screw up I’d think, “I’ve blown it.” It was like the very act of making something a resolution made it into a success or failure proposition. Either I [...]

If you’re like many people, you’ll be making a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, save more money, or both. If you’re trying to do both, the good news is that weight loss and saving money often go hand in hand. It’s like accomplishing two resolutions at once. Even if you only choose one, chances [...]

It’s the time of year when many people resolve to get their finances in order. As with dieting, this is also the time of year when all the fads compete for your attention. You start to see ads for everything including computer software, apps for your phone, programs/groups that promise to solve all of your [...]

We’re slam in the middle of the Christmas nuttiness. Spend, spend, spend is the current motto and I don’t know whether it’s the coming full moon or simply the Christmas insanity, but people are acting crazy. I’ve seen far more people this year yelling at other people, pushing and shoving, flipping others off in parking [...]

Do you have any unused, unwanted gifts in the back of your closet? Have you considered regifting them to save a little money this holiday season? Regifting is not completely taboo. If you do it well, regifting can be a rather useful way to save money and clean out your house at the same time. [...]

If you followed any of the Black Friday news this year, you know that many stores including Target, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy pushed their opening times to midnight on Black Friday. Some stores, like Toys R Us and my local outlet center pushed the opening even further back by opening at 9:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving [...]

Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite vacation destination is Walt Disney World (WDW) in Florida. Some would say I have an unhealthy addiction to the place whereas I would simply call myself a fan. Either way, my travels to Disney World have taught me quite a bit about money. I know what you’re [...]

Ah, the season of giving. Magic in the air, Christmas carolers echoing throughout packed shopping malls, Salvation Army collection bells ringing — it’s the most wonderful time of the year to do good for others…right? With your family’s jam-packed social schedule, endless check-out lines and troops of hungry house guests on the way, it may [...]

The key to saving this Thanksgiving is to think and plan ahead. It’s never too early to start considering the cost of the holidays, especially when giving yourself some extra time can allow for great discounts and finds. The first step: confirm your Thanksgiving plans. Are you hosting dinner this year? How many people are [...]

It’s only October and Halloween hasn’t even passed yet. However, it’s not too early to start planning your holiday meals and baking. I was in the store the other day and they already have the special center aisle display set up with all of the traditional baking ingredients. Things like stuffing mix, cranberries, pie shells, [...]

It’s July and time to start thinking about Christmas. Seriously. If you want to work as Santa Claus this Christmas, now is the time to start training and looking for work. Santa work isn’t hard to come by. Many stores, malls, civic groups, and party companies hire Santas. Santa is needed for parades and private [...]

When I was younger I traveled extensively on very little money. I still travel frequently, but these days I have a little more money and I prefer more comfortable experiences. (It’s just not as comfortable to sleep on the floor or in a tent as it was when I was twenty.) Some of the best [...]

Even though it’s still cool here, I know summer is just around the corner. It’s time to relax and have some fun, but summer can also be an expensive time of year. There are vacations, activities for the kids, lawn care, and air conditioning bills. It’s time to get ready and start thinking about ways [...]

Here’s a challenge. Think back to your childhood and try to remember all the toys that you received every year while you were growing up for Christmas. While you probably can remember one or two over the years, chances are you don’t remember each one in detail. Now think back to some of the holiday [...]

Great neighbors are worth their weight in gold. While all of us are likely to be stuck with a jerk for a neighbor at some time during our lives, the number of decent neighbors will probably far outweigh the jerks. If you find yourself fortunate enough to have good neighbors, you can save a lot [...]

I came across the results of an interesting survey on vacations. The survey asked respondents in the U.S. and Eu ropean countries how much they wouldspend per person on vacation in 2010. The categories ranged from “Nothing and staying at home” all the way up to “More than $2,472″ per person. In the lowest spending [...]

Oprah had her annual “Favorite Things” show last week. Since this is her last season on the air, it was actually a two day orgy of consumerism. I don’t generally mind Oprah most of the time, but this episode gets on my nerves every year. It’s great that she wants to give all this stuff [...]

I have been car free for several years now, but there are times when I do need to rent a car. I have found that there is one way to consistently get rock bottom prices on a rental car that exceeds coupon specials and all the other advertised deals out there almost every time. Most [...]