Personal Finance Advice

As predicted, eight of the last nine days have been no-spend-days as I continue to house sit and work on my writing. This has been great news for the minimum wage challenge. As mentioned before, I had everything that I really needed which gave me the opportunity to save a bit of money, although it [...]

When it comes to doing laundry, there are a lot of little things that you can do to save money. There are ways to save money while using both the washer and the dryer, and there are also a number of gadgets that you can purchase that can help to reduce the costs of doing [...]

With summer just around the corner, one of the top priorities for a lot of people will be to take off to the beach for a day, or for an extended vacation, when the opportunity permits. One of great things about going to the beach is that it can be a relatively low-cost, day-log activity. [...]

If you still haven’t started your spring cleaning, there’s a good chance that it’s because you simply don’t like to clean. This is nothing to be ashamed of. There are a lot of us who simply look upon cleaning as one of the most disliked chores that need to be done. On the other hand, [...]

There are many people in this economy who have legitimate reasons for not saving money. But there are also a lot of other people who claim that they’re incapable of saving money when saving money would only require them to make some small changes to their finances or spending habits. Some of the common excuses [...]

For those who enjoy traveling, one of the best tools that they have can often be found in their pocket. While your phone isn’t the first gadget that most people think about when planning a vacation, there are now plenty of apps which can help save you money when you do travel. Here are ten [...]

Manufacturers, retailers, and advertisers love to tell us that advertising will save us money. They like to tell us that placing ads in and on everything from video games to toilet paper will save consumers money. The theory is that the advertising subsidizes the cost of the item or service, allowing the seller or provider [...]

For those of us who aren’t morning people, the thought of actively saving money as soon as we wake up might seem like an impossible task. However, there are plenty of things you can do to save money that don’t require much brain activity in the morning. One of the best ways to make saving [...]

Some people hate to use coupons. Some can’t be bothered, some don’t see that the time required is worth the savings, some are embarrassed, some figure coupons are only for junk food (they aren’t), and some are afraid of being associated with the crazy, extreme couponers out there. Whatever the reason, these people are uncomfortable [...]

When it comes to putting in the time and effort to get personal finances in order, I have heard a lot of supposedly good reasons why people haven’t started. There is no doubt that there are a lot of sacrifices that need to be made and it’s not an easy process for many. That being [...]

In the past couple of years, the bad economy has forced many people to take a “staycation” instead of a vacation. A staycation means staying in your local area instead of traveling domestically or internationally. Of course, that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to have fun! A staycation can involve hanging around your house or [...]

When you’re ready to improve your financial life, how should you go about it? Do you immediately cease all unnecessary spending, slash expenses to the bone, and use all of your extra money to pay down debt? Or do you go about it gradually, making a couple of small changes at first and then adding [...]

Gardens can be a wonderful addition to your home. Not only do they provide you with fresh produce, but they can add a nice atmosphere to your back yard. Unfortunately, sometimes gardening can become expensive. Here are a few ways to create an inexpensive garden that will keep the overall costs down: Start Plants from [...]

We all want to save money. Unfortunately, many of the ways to save money available today require that you sacrifice at least a little bit of your privacy. Retailers, websites, and manufacturers want your personal information and information about your purchasing habits. Some of them want information about your health or family life. Your information [...]

Financial experts often talk about the necessity of having an emergency fund. An emergency fund can help cover any expenses that arise when unexpected problems or emergencies crop up in your life. Unfortunately, the unexpected does happen, and it’s important to have made preparations when this happens. Here are a few reasons that it’s worthwhile [...]

One area that most people try to save money is on food. Many people trying to eat healthy on a budget bemoan the fact that fresh produce doesn’t stay fresh for long. Too much of it goes to waste because it spoils too quickly. However, if you practice smart storage and shopping, you can extend [...]

Many people find if difficult to save money. If you’re on a tight budget, you might actually believe that it’s impossible for you to save money. However, a dollar here or a handful of spare change there will add up in the long run. One of the best ways to save money is to turn [...]

I’ve heard plenty of people bemoan the fact that they don’t have a hobby. Some even post to some of the message boards I frequent, asking for help choosing a hobby. This isn’t a position to which I can personally relate. I’m the opposite. I don’t need another hobby, I need more hours in the [...]

One of the risks which comes along with traveling from house to house to house is that sometimes I forget things. I have plenty of razors (TIP: I get them for free from drug stores — every time a razor company comes out with a new model razor, you can almost always get them for [...]

If you haven’t noticed yet, I love the outdoors. One of the things that I wanted to make sure while attempting this minimum wage challenge was that I still got outdoors on a regular basis. With January 21 being a free entrance day to all national parks (and after the failed attempt to go out [...]