Personal Finance Advice

I and other financial writers often tell people to ask for discounts, particularly on large ticket items, because you just never know when a retailer might be willing to cut you a break. Many people are reluctant to try it, however. Some are afraid of being embarrassed and some think it just won’t work. The [...]

Yesterday I went to the movies with one of my sons. He is a film buff and wanted to see a Ray Harryhausen movie on a big screen. Fortunately, a local cinema was offering a free screening 1974′s all too memorable Golden Voyage of Sinbad and we took advantage of that. Just as we left, [...]

After following sales and coupons religiously for several months, I’ve started to get a sense of the best prices for various items. The best way to get these prices is to use the Coupon Mom method of combining a store’s loyalty card discount with sales and coupons. However, over the last several months, it has [...]

Earlier today I had to buy a backpack. I had to buy a backpack because my high school aged son managed to break his current backpack. Now, I am not really sure how one breaks a backpack. Indeed, until today, I did not believe that one could actually break a backpack. It was neither torn [...]

Did you know that buying with cash can actually save you money? The old saying, “Money Talks” has never been truer than in today’s economy. Even big name retailers are open to negotiation; their sales are down and more people than ever are buying on credit. The holiday season is coming up and stores are [...]

By Joseph Ganem Just about every financial decision we make involves comparing numbers. But, often the numbers shown are not the ones you should compare. The sellers of automobiles and related products are masters at leading people down the wrong financial road with misleading numbers. Whether buying a car or a tank of gas, it [...]

I frequently encounter people who don’t use coupons because they feel like it isn’t worth their time. If you’ve run the numbers and found this to be the case, I respect that. Coupon use, like all areas of personal finance, is a personal choice and not everyone will find it beneficial or to their liking. [...]

Eyeglasses are an oddball purchase. Most people who need them will buy them, but the amount they pay can vary greatly without much difference in quality. There are a few ways, however, to find glasses you like for a price that’s low on the scale. First, consider whether you truly need prescription glasses. If you [...]

By Jennifer Derrick I recently returned from two weeks of traveling for both business and pleasure. As I was setting up the components of the trip (hotels, rental cars, etc.) I was disappointed to discover that there were virtually no deals to be had. This surprised me because there’s usually some sort of deal available [...]