Personal Finance Advice

I remember when I was a kid, my parents would take the time to show me how money worked. (This was in the days before ATM’s and online banking.) My mom would show me how to write a check out to “cash,” hand it to the teller, and get cash in return. She showed me [...]

I’m always a little surprised at how much everything in our society is measured in terms of money. We measure our worth by our salaries, not by how much we love our work. We measure our remodeling projects by how much we can get back when we sell and not on how much we love [...]

I once asked a friend of mine why he had not married his girlfriend of many years. He replied that he had always wanted to be a kept man and that she just did not have enough money to afford him.
Another time, back in the dark ages when I was in high school, a [...]

Yesterday I went to the gym. That, in and of itself, is almost apocalyptic in significance, as I never go to the gym. Nevertheless, I am forcing myself to go, at least for the remainder of my period of unemployment, because I need to feel like I am accomplishing something and because I [...]

I was accused the other day on another financial site that I frequent of caring only about money. I was responding to a poster who was asking about the benefits of being debt free, because the person couldn’t see that so much could be gained by not owing anyone anything. So I listed some of [...]

There is a famous quote that says that money is the root of all evil. I think that statement is wrong. I think that the envy of money is the root of all evil. How can money be evil? Money is an inanimate object, and as such, is incapable of any action at all, let [...]

Money is physically dirty

99.9% of all paper money is covered in germs and bacteria including E. coli and salmonella. Money isn’t just dirty because of the microorganisms; it’s also covered in bits of fecal matter and grains of cocaine. You would probably be just as well off licking the bottom of your shoe as you [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week:

Why am I being punished for having bought a house I could afford?
Made 1000% now quiting his job
Banks asking for credit card debt forgiveness
A Rate of Zero Percent From the [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week:

Americans finally start saving again
Tips for New Paupers
Searching For a Market Bottom? Keep Looking
10 more reasons you are not wealthy
Grain piles up in ports
Worst yearly slump for S&P [...]

How does using cash or a debit card influence our spending?
About a month ago, I watched a video on Yahoo about an ordinary couple who were challenged to use cash for everything they bought for one week. The idea was to find out if they would spend less when using actual paper money.
How do you [...]

I am sure that almost everyone would say they would like to improve their financial position in some way. For many, it would be getting out from under mountains of credit card debt or paying off school loans. Others may be trying to accumulate money for a down payment on a home or saving [...]

If you are reading this, I can safely assume that you are concerned about saving money and maximizing your financial resources. Unless you have unlimited wealth (which I can also safely assume is not the case), then you must be financially wise to take full advantage of the money you have.
The following list [...]

Dear Mr. CEO of a fiction company that bears no resemblance whatsoever to the author’s current real-life employer:
We, your loyal employees, understand money is tight. We know you’re doing everything you can to keep the company running. But morale is down. Your employees think all you care about is meeting a sales number. Do [...]

Kids often view cash and gift cards as things that need to be used immediately. I recall how my now grown son spent all of his birthday money within two days after he had received it, often wasting it on things that he never used. When I voiced concern or suggested [...]

I hate Paris Hilton. I hate her a lot more than I did a few hours ago. I can thank my sister for that.
My sister, to put it bluntly, is a royal pain in the butt. This is a feeling that many siblings share, but I can guarantee that my sister is much more [...]

We’ve heard the phrases, discussed our strategies, tried to forget about the money when we make a budget, and several other things pertaining to the vital emergency fund. Save up an emergency fund :: How much is in your emergency fund? :: Is an emergency fund necessary? :: Can I have an alternative emergency fund? [...]

One reason that people have trouble with their finances is that they tend to be lazy about managing them. That is not to say that one should spend 24 hours a day making sure every little financial detail is in order, but when you begin to lose money in ways that could be solved with [...]

Someone told me the other day that I should want to earn more money so that I could afford the “finer things” in life. I responded by saying that yes, more money would be nice (isn’t it always?), but that the tradeoffs (working longer hours, more stress, more time away from my family) wouldn’t be [...]

The question to get your morning rolling today is, What tricks help you from spending money?
I was talking with a friend who is super frugal except when it comes to traveling. It seems that he spends virtually all his extra money on traveling either to new countries or to visit friends. I asked him how [...]

Today’s question to get your morning rolling is, How much cash do you keep at home?
I know a lot of people that don’t keep any cash at home and I was one of them until 1995. Since then I always keep a minimum of several hundred dollars at home and I don’t even try to [...]