Personal Finance Advice

If you’re a frugal person, the concept of planned obsolescence stinks. There’s no polite way to put it. Manufacturers create things to last a short period of time, forcing you to upgrade or buy a new one at regular intervals. It’s become common practice in everything from appliances to power tools to electronics. Nothing is [...]

When you’re ready to improve your financial life, how should you go about it? Do you immediately cease all unnecessary spending, slash expenses to the bone, and use all of your extra money to pay down debt? Or do you go about it gradually, making a couple of small changes at first and then adding [...]

Gardens can be a wonderful addition to your home. Not only do they provide you with fresh produce, but they can add a nice atmosphere to your back yard. Unfortunately, sometimes gardening can become expensive. Here are a few ways to create an inexpensive garden that will keep the overall costs down: Start Plants from [...]

Are you tired of paying an outrageously high cable bill each month? Do you have a cable package for hundreds of channels, but only watch about a dozen? Do you just not want to deal with the cable company anymore? Cable TV isn’t the only choice, and there are plenty of alternatives that you should [...]

Most of us tend to think that more is better, especially when it comes to our “stuff.” If two pairs of shoes is good, ten must be great. If a library of thirty DVD’s is good, a hundred must be better. If having fifteen board games provides a lot of entertainment, a library of fifty [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 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’ve heard plenty of people bemoan the fact that they don’t have a hobby. Some even post to some of the message boards I frequent, asking for help choosing a hobby. This isn’t a position to which I can personally relate. I’m the opposite. I don’t need another hobby, I need more hours in the [...]

Last year there were changes to our health insurance plan. The employer has always used a high deductible plan and they have always been kind enough to contribute $2,000 toward that deductible. The money has always been available at the first of the year. Well, last year, they got a new plan. It’s still a [...]

This time of year there are lots of tips about how to save money on Valentine’s Day. Advice abounds about ways to show your love for free and alternative gift ideas such as coupons for kid-free days and taking over your partner’s chores for a weekend. While all of these are very valid ways to [...]

My current house sitting job ends tomorrow, so a good part of the day was spent cleaning the place to make it look better on their return. Washing, vacuuming, cleaning and all that fun stuff. While doing all that, I began to reflect what I was able to do the first month. The only major [...]