Personal Finance Advice

If you still haven’t started your spring cleaning, there’s a good chance that it’s because you simply don’t like to clean. This is nothing to be ashamed of. There are a lot of us who simply look upon cleaning as one of the most disliked chores that need to be done. On the other hand, [...]

One of the selling tactics that I have been hearing more and more these days is to make purchases as a “lifestyle investment.” The entire term bothers me in a number of ways, but the worst part is be bringing in the word “investment” into the dialog, the salesperson is trying to make you believe [...]

This winter I have focused on purging my house of excess stuff. I’ve never thought of myself as having a lot of stuff (and compared to some I don’t), but a real dig in to the deepest recesses of my closet, attic, and drawers revealed some things I’d been holding on to that needed to [...]

It appears that the first week of the minimum wage challenge will begin on the right foot. I just got word from the parents of a friend that they would like me to house sit for them for a week beginning on December 30th. This isn’t a house sitting / pet sitting gig I would [...]

One of the biggest decisions I need to make that will determine whether this living well on minimum wage challenge will be successful or not is my living conditions. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this and there is little doubt that renting would definitely be the safer, cheaper option. The first question [...]

People spend a fortune trying to “improve” the air quality in their homes. They buy fabric sprays, air fresheners, candles, special vacuum cleaners, and expensive purification machines. Unfortunately, most of the candles, plug-ins, and sprays just make things worse. They don’t eliminate odors; they simply mask them. As for the expensive machines, many don’t work [...]

I recently wrote a piece about backing up your computer’s hard drive. At the end, I mentioned that if you don’t have the money to afford a backup mechanism you shouldn’t get the computer because the risk of data loss is too great. You’ll end up paying more than you paid for the computer to [...]

I recently wrote a piece about not being embarrassed to walk away from a bad deal. It’s better to deal with the embarrassment than to get stuck with something you hate. Deal making is a tricky business. You don’t want to get stuck in a bad deal and you don’t want to let other people [...]

By Bethy Hardeman for Credit Karma You’ve heard it before: You should improve your credit. But do you know just why you should focus on your credit health? It’s not just because you can qualify for credit cards with great rewards — though that’s a nice perk. A great credit score can actually save you [...]

As an avid gardener one of my favorite things to grow is herbs because they have so many uses and from what I’ve found can actually help save money. Yes, herbs like thyme, lavender, citronella, mint and many others are a lot more than just scented plants that add a certain flavor to our surroundings. [...]

Where I live, we have commercials on TV every fifteen minutes touting the two major local metal roof sellers. Metal roofing is gaining popularity in parts of the country. Often touted as the more frugal alternative to traditional roofing, a metal roof is supposedly more energy efficient, resists damage better, requires less maintenance, and lasts [...]

I’m fortunate to work from home. I also know many men and women who work from home, are stay-at-home parents, or who don’t work outside of the home for a variety of reasons. Maybe they are disabled in some way, have health issues, or maybe they simply prefer to stay home and take care of [...]

This week I’m giving you a quick PSA about the value of making sure your essential information and items are fully protected. My in-laws’ house burned down last weekend. To the ground. The good news is that no one was hurt, either human or animal. The bad news is that there is nothing left. Along [...]

The big news in my neighborhood this year is that someone has planted a vegetable garden in their front yard. Gasp! More than a few of the neighbors are bent out of shape about it, saying that gardens belong only in the backyard. However, the neighbor in question has a problem with that. The way [...]

It’s no secret that removing clutter from your home makes for a more pleasant, healthier environment. Less mess makes for easier living and better entertaining, too. What may not be quite so obvious is the fact that eliminating disorder from your home may have financial advantages. Is an untidy living space having a negative impact [...]

It’s time for our annual invasion of the ants. Every spring the tiny black ants make their way into our home. It doesn’t seem to matter that we won the war last year, they come back to try again. They are determined to get into the house to see what they can find. They launch [...]

When it comes to storage units, many people are simply throwing away their hard earned money. Unless you are renting a storage unit for a specific reason with a set time period (for example, you’re moving and there is a three month time gap before you can move into a new place), you are likely [...]

When most people move, they are looking to move into a bigger place. I would suggest considering an alternative view and instead of going bigger, look to find the smallest house which will still comfortably meet your needs. Why? Because of the many money saving advantages that come with downsizing which will allow you to [...]

When it comes to buying property, the often repeated phrase is location, location, location. And while these three words are definitely worth living by if you can afford to, if you are really on a budget, there are ways to get houses on a discount that make them undesirable to many people, but may not [...]

Spring is right around the corner and there is never a better time to clean than a big Spring cleaning. Keeping a clean house isn’t just beneficial for your health and wellbeing, it’s also essential if you want to save money. The more dust, dirt, and junk that piles up, the more money you waste. [...]