Personal Finance Advice

A friend and I were discussing New Year’s plans the other day. She is resolving to get her debt under control and start saving more for retirement and her kids’ college funds. “I’m cutting life down to the bare bones this year,” she said. “We’re not spending on anything extra until things are under control.” [...]

When people start out on the path to better finances, many go overboard and slash their budgets to the bone. (Either that or they cut one tiny thing and claim success). They cut out every little extra expense and leave themselves with nothing but food, utilities, housing, and other essentials. It’s like going on a [...]

The other day I was reading a post on a message board from someone who was very proud of their money saving efforts. They listed things they’d cut including the house cleaner, the lawn service, eating out, and that they’d dropped premium channels on their cable. They’ve started buying store brands and given up many [...]

This week a friend was forced to stay with us for a few days when her air conditioner broke down. When it’s 110 degrees outside, you have to stay somewhere and she has no family nearby and she couldn’t afford a hotel. While she was here, I had some frugal business to attend to. We [...]

The other day, a friend and I were talking about the things we do to be frugal. We were discussing all the tips and tricks we’ve learned to save money and cut down on waste. We were also discussing how, with the current economic downturn, more and more people are learning how to be frugal. [...]

This past year has been all about changes, some good and a lot not so good. We’ve ridden the gas price roller coaster and held our breath to see the first African American President get elected. Some have cried over the bouncing stock market and some have jumped on board and bought cheap, hoping to [...]