Personal Finance Advice

Optimism is generally a good thing. It’s good to look toward the future with hope and confidence. Research shows that optimists tend to be happier and live longer than pessimists. Optimists are healthier and deal with adversity better than their pessimistic counterparts. That’s all great news but unfortunately, being too optimistic can be detrimental to [...]

One of the financial phrases that always irks me is “disposable income.” Disposable income is money that has no designated purpose and thus can be blown on anything you want. It’s money that is not “needed” to meet your obligations and thus can be spent on frivolous stuff. The word disposable brings to mind images [...]

Twice in recent weeks I’ve come across situations where people were trying so hard to keep their things in pristine condition that they ended up cheating themselves out of some fun and being a complete jerk. The first happened when we were at a fast food restaurant. The landscapers were blowing leaves outside and they [...]

Last week I had the misfortune of witnessing a messy exchange in the return line at a local department store. The woman ahead of me was trying to return some items that she bought and had apparently decided that she didn’t like or want. The clerk told her that they could not take them back. [...]

February 25 through March 2 is America Saves Week which was created to promote better savings behavior so that individuals can put them in better financial shape. Getting all your different financial accounts in order is an important step in putting all of your savings onto the right track. Part of that effort is having [...]

We all want to save money. Unfortunately, many of the ways to save money available today require that you sacrifice at least a little bit of your privacy. Retailers, websites, and manufacturers want your personal information and information about your purchasing habits. Some of them want information about your health or family life. Your information [...]

Are you expecting to receive an IRS refund this year? Do you have big plans for that money? Maybe you want to spend it on something nice for yourself. Maybe you are planning to use it for a great vacation to get away from it all. Many people who receive a tax refund each spring [...]

Last week I wrote a piece about the advantages of keeping accounts at multiple financial institutions. The benefits range from having fall back money if one account is compromised to taking advantage of the strengths of certain types of banks. While I feel that it is best to keep accounts at a least a couple [...]

It’s been a rough week where I have had minimal productivity. I realized after the low vitamin D diagnosis that I had been doing some things on my own to fight the effects which weren’t particularly healthy including eating a lot of junk food and gaining some weight. Upon understanding a bit more about what [...]

Financial experts often talk about the necessity of having an emergency fund. An emergency fund can help cover any expenses that arise when unexpected problems or emergencies crop up in your life. Unfortunately, the unexpected does happen, and it’s important to have made preparations when this happens. Here are a few reasons that it’s worthwhile [...]

One area that most people try to save money is on food. Many people trying to eat healthy on a budget bemoan the fact that fresh produce doesn’t stay fresh for long. Too much of it goes to waste because it spoils too quickly. However, if you practice smart storage and shopping, you can extend [...]

Layoffs are hard, but not all layoffs are totally unexpected. Often you can see a layoff coming if you keep your eyes and ears open. Some warning signs: The company seems to be struggling and bills aren’t getting paid or customers aren’t getting their orders. Management shake ups are happening regularly as the company tries [...]

As I expected, I woke up quite sore from a the day of digging in the sand. I definitely used more than a few muscles that I don’t normally use, and my body decided to remind me of that the entire day. Even when sitting in front of the computer most of the day where [...]

Many people find if difficult to save money. If you’re on a tight budget, you might actually believe that it’s impossible for you to save money. However, a dollar here or a handful of spare change there will add up in the long run. One of the best ways to save money is to turn [...]

I have several acquaintances that do all of their banking with one institution. (Typically it’s the bank that holds their mortgage or where they have a large investment account like an IRA or 401K.) They use that one bank for everything from paying the bills to loans to retirement savings. In some cases, they don’t [...]

Did you know that many people don’t actually know how to obtain a credit report? More importantly, some of them don’t even know why they should check their credit report each year. Credit reports help prove your credit worthiness to potential lenders or creditors. It’s also important to check your credit report each year to [...]

It appears that we have found the culprit to my fuzzy head. All my blood tests came back within the normal range except for my vitamin D test which came in well below what it was supposed to be (for those familiar, it came in at 11). This actually surprised me quite a bit because [...]

I wrote a few weeks ago about how many people are upset about the end of the Social Security tax holiday. Now that tax rates have returned to 6.2%, many people are struggling to readjust their budgets because they’d come to count on that money, rather than viewing it as a temporary windfall. There’s another [...]

If I keep my eyes open for coupons, I can get an oil change and tire rotation for $19.95 in my area without a problem. That’s less than it would cost me for the oil and filter, not to mention the time it saves me. But I don’t take advantage of these discounts most of [...]

I’m pretty sure that my doctors think I’m nuts. Since my head has been “fuzzy” for a few weeks (and has progressed to the point where it was getting difficult for me to get anything done during the day), I decided that I better try to find out what was going on. The fist stop [...]