Personal Finance Advice

It’s the time of year when many people resolve to get their finances in order. As with dieting, this is also the time of year when all the fads compete for your attention. You start to see ads for everything including computer software, apps for your phone, programs/groups that promise to solve all of your [...]

I hate waste. I hate that sometimes I have to throw something away without having gotten maximum use out of it. I hate the waste of money and the waste of resources. Unfortunately, I’ve learned that there are instances where I end up wasting things. For example, I cannot use up an entire head of [...]

When I first started on my frugal journey I had to get past quite a few fears and stereotypes that were holding me back, especially after I moved to a new area. You wouldn’t think that frugality would be a scary thing, but sometimes it can be a little frightening, especially if you’ve never had [...]

By Vicky Oliver I first realized that I was a frugalista a few years ago when I took a favorite black jacket back to the dry cleaners to complain that the garment had started to “pill.” The finely spun black lace had literally unraveled before my eyes –exposing the frayed white boning underneath. “This garment [...]

In the not too distant future I’m going to have to have surgery on my foot and ankle. This is going to mean six to eight weeks of essentially being off my feet except for limited excursions to the bathroom and from the couch to the bed. I’ll be able to do some things, but [...]

In the last six months or so I’ve discovered a new hobby: Board games. I’m not talking about games like Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly, LIFE and the like that are available at the big box stores. I’ve discovered what are commonly called “Euro-games” because they are designed in Europe by European designers. They aren’t generally available [...]

The Tightwad Gazette was a newsletter, published in the early 90′s, by Amy Dacyczyn. It was published in the days before email and the Internet. If you wanted to subscribe, you received your copies through the Postal Service. Eventually those newsletters were compiled into three books and, finally, into The Complete Tightwad Gazette which contains [...]

Many years ago I worked in a municipal permits and inspections department. Builders came in and applied for permits, we issued them and then took care of the inspections to make sure that homes and business were being built according to the current building codes. You wouldn’t think there would be too many money lessons [...]

Do you have any unused, unwanted gifts in the back of your closet? Have you considered regifting them to save a little money this holiday season? Regifting is not completely taboo. If you do it well, regifting can be a rather useful way to save money and clean out your house at the same time. [...]

Many people have large contractual or recurring monthly expenses in their budget. Cell phones, gym memberships, club memberships, cable/satellite TV, and data plans for tablets are just a few of the ongoing expenses you may face. These can really add up and you often end up paying even when no one is using the service [...]

If you followed any of the Black Friday news this year, you know that many stores including Target, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy pushed their opening times to midnight on Black Friday. Some stores, like Toys R Us and my local outlet center pushed the opening even further back by opening at 9:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving [...]

Anyone who knows me knows that my favorite vacation destination is Walt Disney World (WDW) in Florida. Some would say I have an unhealthy addiction to the place whereas I would simply call myself a fan. Either way, my travels to Disney World have taught me quite a bit about money. I know what you’re [...]

This article is written by SB, who blogs at One cent at a time, a blog dedicated to all round well-being for everyone including saving money, smart investments and improving productivity. Subscribe to his RSS feed via email or e reader. One of the most important things to realize is that you rеаllу dо nоt [...]

This is a guest post by Ashley at Money Talks The road to wealth may not be a smooth ride, but the fact remains you are either moving towards wealth, or you are moving towards poverty. Everyone moves along this road in one direction or the other. The path to wealth isn’t overly difficult or [...]

The key to saving this Thanksgiving is to think and plan ahead. It’s never too early to start considering the cost of the holidays, especially when giving yourself some extra time can allow for great discounts and finds. The first step: confirm your Thanksgiving plans. Are you hosting dinner this year? How many people are [...]

I subscribe to quite a few magazines. Some I got for free, but I’ve paid for many of them. Up until recently I’d been guilty of giving my magazines a quick read and then tossing them into the recycling bin. Then one day I asked myself, “Why am I subscribing to these if I’m not [...]

I really have nothing against Costco. I think that they are a quality company and they treat their employees well, especially when compared to other retailers. I used to be a huge advocate of shopping at Costco and the great deals that one could get when buying in bulk to reduce costs. I know a [...]

Some non-frugal people have a perception that all frugal people are stupid, dumb, backwards, hillbilly housewives, and generally uneducated. I think this stereotype must come from the feeling that the really “smart” people are also very successful and thus don’t need to be frugal. It’s only the uneducated people who aren’t “smart enough” to get [...]

By Farnoosh Torabi, Manilla Financial Editor With the arrival of so many budget-friendly mobile applications, saving has never been quite so simple. Literally, at the tap of a finger, you can discover where to snag the best deals in town and even download and redeem coupons instantly while checking out at the register. Here are [...]

Do you have a museum, zoo, or theme park nearby that you find yourself visiting more than once per year? If you do, you might want to look into the costs and benefits of buying a season pass or becoming a member. I was surprised recently to discover that a year long membership at my [...]