Personal Finance Advice

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 up [...]

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 in [...]

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 that he might want [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

“When I get a little money I buy books, and if any is left I buy food and clothes,” Desiderius Erasmus has been quoted as saying. If he read like I do (more for fun than for education), he was budgeting for entertainment before necessities. He certainly would not be alone. Today, many people continue [...]

A few weeks ago I wrote about books that are valuable for every level of financial knowledge. Almost all of those books were “how-to” books or books about developing and implementing investment strategies. This week I’m going to recommend a different type of financial book. These are the books that don’t teach you how to [...]

I once heard Dave Ramsey say that when it comes to getting out of debt and staying out of debt, it is 20% knowledge and 80% behavior. Just look at anyone who’s ever said “I know I shouldn’t (insert bad financial habit here) but I just can’t help it!” Anyone can learn all they want [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance reading that has caught our eye that may be of interest to you: Discussions From The Forums These are threads started this past week within the forums which have created quite a bit of discussion: What is your definition of middle class? If total income is $80,000, [...]

I’m a huge fan of reading. I believe that reading, both fiction and non-fiction, is a great way to learn new things and be exposed to more than you typically see in your daily life. If you want to learn something new, like personal finance, you can’t beat a good book. You can go at [...]

A few weeks ago I heard someone say this when teaching about finances: “When we change the way we think about money, it will change the way we handle money.” This statement made me stop and think because I realized that it is so true. I know that when I changed the way I thought [...]