Personal Finance Advice

Lately I’ve been thinking about getting the Target Red debit card. (Note that this post is strictly about the debit card. Target also offers a credit card which offers similar benefits to the debit card, but also acts like a credit card in that you are charged interest on unpaid balances.) I became interested in [...]

I read a lot of books and articles on things like brain science, psychology, productivity, and memory. One thing that tends to come up often as I read is that the brain sees any incomplete task or goal as part of your to-do list. Even if you aren’t consciously thinking of it, anything that you [...]

Dieting is probably not the first word that comes to mind when you think of debt reduction. However, when it comes to trying to reduce your debt, many of the steps you have to take are very similar to the steps you’d take when trying to reduce weight. Probably the most essential part to both [...]

I have a friend who is into Star Wars. I mean really into Star Wars. He has every release of the movies going back to VHS. He has the trading cards, all of the books, the toys going back to the 1970′s when he was a child, the collectible glasses given away by fast food [...]

I knew that there would be hiccups from time to time in the minimum wage challenge. It would be wonderful if spending was something that could always be prepared for and anticipated, but the reality is that unexpected costs will present themselves from time to time, and a decision what to do will have to [...]

It was a pretty uneventful day in regard to spending since most of the day was spent catching up on the things I had put off while on the three day trip. When it comes to the minimum wage challenge, uneventful spending days are days to be celebrated. It wasn’t a no spend day, however, [...]

Sometimes, when the weather isn’t pretty, it’s tempting to go out and do something that’s going to cost you money. The movies, a restaurant, a bar, a trip to the mall or the bookstore. All of these offer some relief from being trapped inside your house. But if you’re trying to save money, you need [...]

After the recent house sitting gig and the amount of money I saved during that time, I decided that a short trip was in order even while on the minimum wage challenge. I opted to head to Redwood National Park to visit one of those places that is so special that I put it on [...]

There are a lot of places to get small, free samples online, but is it possible to get bigger and more expensive items for free? There are actually quite a few places that you can get free stuff that’s still in perfectly good shape or needs only minor repairs. Before you go out and spend [...]

We enjoy camping in our RV. As a result, I spend a lot of time on RV-related message boards. This week I saw a sad story. A family wanted to get into the camping lifestyle, so they went to the local dealer to see what they could or should get. They planned on towing the [...]

As predicted, eight of the last nine days have been no-spend-days as I continue to house sit and work on my writing. This has been great news for the minimum wage challenge. As mentioned before, I had everything that I really needed which gave me the opportunity to save a bit of money, although it [...]

When it comes to doing laundry, there are a lot of little things that you can do to save money. There are ways to save money while using both the washer and the dryer, and there are also a number of gadgets that you can purchase that can help to reduce the costs of doing [...]

People like to refer to life as a game or a competition. The winners are the ones who accumulate the most or best things, achieve the most success, or get the most power. That’s the conventional wisdom, anyway, which means that a large number of us are playing a game we’ll never win. We’ll never [...]

“I’m so messed up. I’m going out for a little retail therapy. Wanna come?” So began a recent conversation with my neighbor. I’ll admit that she’s got every reason to be upset: Her kids are in trouble, there are financial problems in her house, her job is a mess, and her relatives are the sort [...]

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. [...]

Lately I’ve been trying to decide whether or not to get a Target Red debit card. As much as I shop at Target, the five percent discount would be nice, but there are some drawbacks. I’m still looking into it and will probably make a post about what I’ve learned once I make my decision. [...]

Many people dream of retiring while they’re still young enough to have some fun. Then they look at their bank balance, sigh, and decide that they will have to work until they’re eighty. This might not be true, however. Lots of people retire early without a fortune in the bank or a large inheritance on [...]

There is a lot to love about credit unions, especially when they’re compared to banks. They lack the huge conglomerate feel that many big banks have, and they often have a local flavor which lets them release a quirky video like this (can you imagine a wall street bank ever releasing an advertisement like that?) [...]

A couple of years ago, I had a run in with the neighborhood jerk. A group of neighbors was trying to mobilize against a potential new road that would cut through some properties and lower the value of others. Everyone in the neighborhood was against the road except this one guy. He felt like having [...]

From a money spending perspective, the next week is going to be pretty boring for you to read about because unless something unexpected happens (which is always a possibility), I’m anticipating that it’ll be a no-spend-week. This is one of those Catch 22 situations when it comes to writing about being on a strict budget [...]