Personal Finance Advice

It is almost comical the trouble I am running into saving money lately. For instance, I was shopping at a favorite second-hand store when I found a great purse. I was so excited to find something that was the right size, reasonably priced and in fairly good shape that I quickly paid for it and [...]

If you watch the news or read many magazines or newspapers, you’ve probably heard about “lifestyle diseases.” These are diseases and ailments that we get because our lifestyle and/or environment are unhealthy. Some examples: Obesity Alcoholism Diseases associated with smoking such as lung cancer, asthma or emphysema Drug abuse Depression/anxiety Some forms of cancer related [...]

I get tickled when people tell me that they read a certain book or listened to a certain guru and followed the plan to the letter, but still have financial trouble or they can’t meet their goals. They seem stymied as to why the plan didn’t work. I often ask them if the plan was [...]

There are a lot of ways that you can save significant amounts of money by prudently marshalling your resources and spending wisely. Many of our topics suggest ways that savvy consumers can save tremendous amounts of money over time, whether by going without certain products or services, or by cutting back on certain purchases. Although [...]

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 [...]

In 2008 you worried and logged every cent you made. You made out a budget and tried to stick to it. Every month you failed. Something came up and you overspent. It caused a great deal of tension and maybe even some arguments between you and your beloved spouse. It even made the kids feel [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: Circuit City to liquidate remaining U.S. stores Congress considers ‘cash for clunkers’ proposal This is why you continue to get those Nigerian scam emails Chef Amanda Freitag Tries To Prep Family-Friendly Dinner On [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: WSJ Tries Blaming Economic Woes on People Being Frugal Porn industry seeks federal bailout If You Don’t Need It, It’s Not A Bargain At All Lenders digging up more than your credit score [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: How we went from $42,000 to $6,500 and lived to tell about it The difference between a recession and a depression The Worst Financial Predictions About 2008 The Credit Card & College Link [...]

In my youth, I liked to live life well and, admittedly, to excess. My friends and I ate out often and we did not limit ourselves to salad and sparkling water. We enjoyed fine meals that we could not afford and the full range of alcoholic beverages that the world’s distilleries, wineries and breweries had [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: The Obama economic stimulus: Everybody gets to refinance their house at 4.5% Meet the family who live on $44K a year – debt-free Bush: “I’ve abandoned free-market principles to save the free-market system” [...]

I recently finished reading Thomas Friedman’s Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Empower America. It’s a very good book if you’re interested in the environment, but it’s also a good read if you ever wonder what a “green economy” might look like. He covers a lot of [...]

Do you know that feeling when you’ve had something hanging over your head for a long time — and then it’s gone? My husband and I have been enjoying that feeling. We just paid off our vehicle loan. What a relief! Now we have the happy problem of what to do with the “extra” money [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: Americans’ debt shrinks – 1st time ever Trickledown Downsizing Eight of the market’s sharpest thinkers: The future is frightening Recession Special: Buy one car, get one free Why Bailouts Are Dangerous Buy Short-Term [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: Koobface Virus: Facebook Virus Being Used to Steal Credit Card Numbers Predicting $25 a Barrel Oil Tax-free Capital Gains Are Here Having Sex to Save Money The worst jobs with the best pay [...]

In the days when I worked at an office, I would often get up late, rush to work and hit the coffee place on my break. I’d head to the corner shop for a snack in the afternoon, and then run to get more groceries on the way home since I had no idea what [...]

By Maggie Ellis, guest writer It’s that time of year again. The time of year when my spouse and I are punished for our thrifty ways. How are we punished you ask? By being forced to spend the holidays with our families who are, at best, financial half-wits. (Half-wit is probably generous in some cases. [...]

It’s over. We did it. We made it through No Spend Month, where we had only $400 to spend on gas, groceries, and entertainment, with money to spare. We spent $339.54. The last week was both challenging and liberating. We hosted Thanksgiving for the family, and we managed to buy the turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries, [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: Black Friday 10: Retailers that may not survive until 2009 The Holiday Season Is Already Over For Retailers Drinking tap water can save you $1,400 a year 20 tycoons who have lost billions [...]

I can see it. The end. It’s almost here. We only have one week left of no-spend month, where we vowed to only spend $400 for all of November on everything we need, including groceries, entertainment, and gas. But it’s a big week, with Thanksgiving and all of the usually-oh-so-tempting Black Friday deals that I [...]