Personal Finance Advice

I’ve noticed something about myself. I am uncomfortable in high-spending situations. And this is true even when I’m not the one paying. Not long ago, a potential vendor took me to lunch at a swanky restaurant. He was paying, but I felt uncomfortable in there. I’ve been frugal for so long that spendy places give [...]

A couple of weeks ago, I came across a post on another message board from a person who admitted to spending forty percent of his time at work surfing the Internet for personal reasons. He was even going so far as to use Log Me In to access his home computer from work so he [...]

There are many people in this economy who have legitimate reasons for not saving money. But there are also a lot of other people who claim that they’re incapable of saving money when saving money would only require them to make some small changes to their finances or spending habits. Some of the common excuses [...]

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 [...]

For those who enjoy traveling, one of the best tools that they have can often be found in their pocket. While your phone isn’t the first gadget that most people think about when planning a vacation, there are now plenty of apps which can help save you money when you do travel. Here are ten [...]

Lenders rolled out an extra-long-term car loan last week: The 97 month loan. (That’s eight years, folks.) The lenders claim that this is because the average price of a new car has risen to $31,000 and extra-long loans are the only way that some buyers can get an affordable monthly payment. I’ve seen several reactions [...]

Earth Day is coming. It’s one of those days I actually look forward to each year. While I get sick of the “greenwashing” that the big corporations engage in every year, I do enjoy some of the local celebrations at the farmer’s market. It’s also a day that reminds me to reduce, reuse, and recycle. [...]

I see plenty of people, both online and off, who are desperate to work from home. Despite the fact that working from home is definitely not for everyone, many people idealize the lifestyle and want it for themselves. It’s funny, though, that many people seem to be seeking some sort of magical work from home [...]

I have a friend who has lusted after a certain board game for years, now. It’s out of print and if you can find it on the secondary market in good to mint condition, it usually sells for north of three hundred dollars. While this seems crazy to me, it’s not to him. To him, [...]

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 [...]

Manufacturers, retailers, and advertisers love to tell us that advertising will save us money. They like to tell us that placing ads in and on everything from video games to toilet paper will save consumers money. The theory is that the advertising subsidizes the cost of the item or service, allowing the seller or provider [...]

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 [...]

We all have a finite amount of time to be on this earth. The time we have to spend with loved ones, to pursue fun hobbies, to do work we love, and to explore this world is limited. Time is the one resource that no amount of money can buy more of. I’m always amazed [...]

I live in a rural community and we get three newspapers here. The first is our main, statewide paper. Though it’s a daily paper, I only subscribe to the Sunday edition of that one for the coupons and sales flyers. However, we also get two other small-town papers each week. We don’t pay for these [...]

If you’re on a tight budget or limited income, you’re probably pretty price conscious. However, while buying cheaper items can be great in some instances, there are certain items where you should splurge a little when buying. Many of the items on this list aren’t top luxury items, but rather items where you should consider [...]

We all feel the need to reward ourselves sometimes. Maybe we reach a tough goal such as losing fifty pounds, or we accomplish a significant milestone on the way to a larger goal, such as finishing the novel that must now be sent out to agents and publishers. Whatever the reason, rewards can give us [...]

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 [...]

A few years ago, I faced my mortality head on. An unexpected allergic reaction nearly killed me. Up to that point I, like most people, hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about death. Sure, I’d done the unpleasant task of making a will and other estate arrangements, and I’d buried a few relatives. But [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]