Personal Finance Advice

One of my clients (where a friend of mine also works in IT) recently upgraded their office phone system. The phone system they had was perfectly functional but, like so many people and businesses, they wanted something with more bells and whistles (and something that several of their competitors had). After taking bids, forking over [...]

You probably don’t think that the hours you’re sleeping can possibly cost you that much. After all, everyone’s in bed, everything is off, and no one is out shopping. But the truth is, the overnight hours can be costing you hundreds of dollars per year and you might not even realize it. The biggest culprit [...]

You may not think of your morning shower as a great opportunity to save money, but there are a lot of little things you can do to reduce your cost of keeping clean and neat. Even if you’re still half asleep, that doesn’t mean that you want money needlessly running down the drain. Here are [...]

Over the years, I have called the cable company to reduce the amount of money my mom pays for her cable TV on a fairly regular basis. I just did it again this week and saved her $170 over a 6 month period. No matter how many times I tell my mom that she needs [...]

I am probably one of the last people in the US that doesn’t have a cell phone. I don’t have a cell phone to protest in any way. I actually think there are a lot of interesting aspects to them. I have friends that keep telling me that I really need to get one so [...]

I am sure that everyone who has ever tried to reduce their budget, whether it be to accommodate for a reduced income, or to help with debt reduction, has been told or read about cutting their utility bills. You may or may not have actually been able to shave money from your bills, but hopefully [...]

Many people don’t realize that going on vacation can be a money saving exercise. If you’re careful, you can save enough money to offset some of the cost of your vacation. How does this work? While you’re not at home, your house is still spending money unless you make it stop. Here are some tips [...]

Your water heater is one of the biggest contributors to your electric bill. It’s usually on all the time, heating water even when no one is home. I learned just how much it contributes to the power bill one summer when I went on a long vacation. I had turned it off at the fuse [...]

In the last week I’ve gotten pretty peeved at the controls that my state and local governments have put in place to keep me from saving money. The first came when I called my homeowner’s insurance company to increase my deductible. I have enough in savings now to cover all but the largest problems, so [...]

When thoughts turn to getting more cash every month, many people assume that they’ll have to take a second job. That may be true. If your financial situation is dire or if you have your heart set on some big ticket item, a second job may be the only way to get to the necessary [...]

It was bound to happen someday. I lost my cell phone the other day. I had it in the side pocket of my car door. At some point while running errands it must have fallen out and I didn’t notice until I got home. I retraced my steps but I couldn’t find my phone. I [...]

By Maureen K. If you had asked me a year ago if I would like being poor, I would have called you crazy. Both my husband and I had just lost our jobs and we were just coming to the realization that we were no longer going to be able to live the life of [...]

It is the middle of August. That means that if you live anywhere in the continental United States, it is probably a lot hotter outside than you would like. With temperatures in the 90′s and 100′s across much of America, staying cool becomes a very serious pursuit. Staying cool without breaking the bank becomes even [...]

Last week, Sadie wrote about how debt free living means not being a slave to a FICO score. In the article, she pointed out that FICO has become such an integral part of our lives that even the debt free can’t ignore the score completely, which is annoying, at best. But I’ve been giving it [...]

I’ve never been much of a follower. Even as a youngster, I had to find my own way to do things, even if they didn’t measure up to what everyone else was doing. As a single parent for many years, I learned a few things the hard way. I learned not to follow common financial [...]

Whether your furnace is broken or you’re just looking to save a buck, you might be surprised at how well you can get along without heat. Here are some simple and inexpensive ways to make cold days and nights more comfortable without touching the thermostat. Wear layers: I’m not just talking about wearing a long-sleeved [...]

My wife and I have a fair distribution of labor in our home. Among other things, I wash and fold the laundry, and my wife puts it all away. Part of the reason that we arrived at this model for the laundry lies in our fundamental disagreement with respect to what needs to be washed. [...]

I tend to be a bit bullheaded at times. Well, maybe more than a bit, but just because everyone else is doing something doesn’t mean it’s the best thing to do. This is my opinion from my own experience and I suggest you do your own research to find out what works best for you [...]

It has been unseasonably cold in Orlando for the past couple of weeks. Nights have dropped into the thirties and days have rarely made it past 75 degrees. While that may seem balmy to anyone living north of Florida, trust me when I tell you that I am not used to this kind of cold [...]

As the child of people who lived through the Great Depression, I grew up on an “energy diet.” My parents encouraged us to turn off the lights when leaving the room, put on a sweater instead of turn up the heat, and walk to the store instead of drive. My parents ingrained these habits into [...]