Personal Finance Advice

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that gas prices are soaring sky high. As a result, many people are rushing out to trade in their older, larger, inefficient cars for newer smaller, more efficient models. But is this rush to trade really necessary, or even a good thing?
Certainly if you’re driving a [...]

“No interest and no payments for an entire year!” This statement can stop people in their tracks when shopping and often times is the deciding factor on a particular purchase. But this statement can be a dangerous one if you aren’t careful. No interest = no worries, right? Not exactly. [...]

I’m usually very good at shopping with a list, knowing exactly what I’m going to a store to get, and coming out with only those items. But every now and then, like this weekend, I’m assaulted by the “I want it now monster” and I’m forced to fight my way through the impulse. I have [...]

Who doesn’t hate the clutter of junk mail that comes via snail mail? Someone’s always advertising something and it just seems to pile up in your garbage can. I’ve personally done virtually all I can to eliminate junk mail from my physical mailbox, but when it comes to my e-mail inbox, that’s a [...]

I remember playing Monopoly when I was younger and I remember landing on the squares that were marked Chance or Community Chest. You could get a card that said “Go straight to Jail,” “Pay $50 to each player” or “Win $50 in a beauty contest.” But what about that one that said “Bank [...]

Bargain hunters looking for deeply discounted Christmas items and gift recipients eager to exchange their loot for something that better fits their bodies or personalities make the day after Christmas a busy one for retailers. With 364 shopping days until Christmas, those who work best under pressure might not have enough motivation to start shopping [...]

Everyone knows you have to sacrifice in order to spend less and save more. Just how much you are willing to sacrifice depends on how much you want to save or how quickly you want to pay off debt. It really depends on your situation and preferences in regards to how much you [...]

Most of us enjoy luxurious things. They look nice. They feel good. They confer status and elevate us above our peers. We’re conditioned from an early age to want the best clothes, beauty products, electronics, jewelry, cars, or furnishings. In our quest to have the best, many of us only look at the price tag. [...]

If I were to ask the average person what makes a Lexus better than a Kia, an outfit from Nordstrom better than one from WalMart or a Coach purse better than a Canyon River Blues one, the most common response I would probably get is “quality.” Now I’ve always been one to try to [...]