Personal Finance Advice

If you’re looking for a way to get a new perspective on how you spend money, one of the best ways to do this is to do some type of “no spend” challenge. While there are a number of things that a no spend challenge can help improve, probably the main benefit is that it’ll [...]

When many people think about becoming budget-conscious, they cringe because they associate living on a budget with being cheap. They don’t want to be known as, “That cheap SOB.”What they don’t understand is that the two terms are very different. You can live on/within a budget without being cheap. Living on or within a budget [...]

With the New Year, people are always looking for new ways to save money that isn’t difficult or complicated, and that can keep them motivated throughout the entire year. It seems like Facebook has provided a simple plan (courtesy of Kassondra Perry-Moreland) this year that anyone can follow and it’ll result in over $1300 worth [...]

There are many ways to save money on food, but it gets a little harder to do so when you go to a restaurant. Many people enjoy fast food restaurants because the service is quick and the food is relatively cheap (but not necessarily cheaper) while others drop in from time to time when they [...]

My desk in my home office looks out over the road in front of my house. It always amazes me how much traffic goes by my window on any given day, especially since I live on a cul-de-sac. People in this neighborhood are on the go all the time. They come home and then they [...]

While some people think it’s better to avoid making New Year’s Resolutions, it’s important to get specific as possible if you do decide to do make them. If you’re they type where New Year’s resolutions help motivate you to achieve those goals, here are some that you should consider relating to your finances: Save More [...]

I have a love-hate relationship with CVS. I love that I can get things there for free / nearly free (one of my goals for this minimum wage challenge is to try to get all of my personal care products for free this year, and using the CVS program will be a big part of [...]

Making your own things, sewing your own clothes, or making gifts are often touted as ways to save money. After all, the thought goes, you can make something for less than it would cost to buy the item. Unfortunately, while making your own items can bring you many rewards, saving money isn’t always (or even [...]

We all want to be able to put more money away for the future, rainy days, or those special goals that are dear to our hearts. Unfortunately, sometimes in our zeal to save money, we devise some strategies that end up backfiring. This usually happens when we feel like we have a discipline problem with [...]

I recently wrote a piece about backing up your computer’s hard drive. At the end, I mentioned that if you don’t have the money to afford a backup mechanism you shouldn’t get the computer because the risk of data loss is too great. You’ll end up paying more than you paid for the computer to [...]

How many times have you brought home a new appliance, electronic gizmo, or power tool and promptly tossed the instruction manual without reading it. “I’ll just wing it,” you say to yourself. You may be able to do that, but chances are that reading the manual is still a worthwhile thing to do. Instruction manuals [...]

Fall and spring are big times for festivals, state fairs, and carnivals. Many people assume that these offerings are cheaper than visiting a major theme park. That’s not always the case. Most theme park admissions are all inclusive. You pay at the gate and then all of the rides and shows are included (except for [...]

Target is one of those stores you visit when you’re looking to do most of your shopping in one place. They have food, clothing, furniture, and most household amenities. However, even though many of those items are fairly inexpensive, your final bill can still end up being quite high. Fortunately, there are some good ways [...]

This is a guest post by Jason Price from OneMoneyDesign.com. Jason is a husband, dad, soccer fan and blogger on the journey to true financial freedom. He enjoys sharing tips and ideas about money, career and more. I can’t think of anyone I know who doesn’t have a cell phone and has to account for [...]

I used to be a huge nerd. I was the kid who actually liked school and homework. Somewhere along the line, though, I lost my inner nerd. I conformed in order to fit in during high school. I still studied, but less than I had before. It just wasn’t “cool” to be studious. I carried [...]

Farmer’s markets are wonderful things. They range from fresh, local produce to homemade sweets and breads to interesting craft products to brighten up any room in your house. It can be a great way to pick up healthy food and fresh food from local vendors. Unfortunately, if you’re not careful, you can end up spending [...]

For seemingly the millionth time in the last few years, I heard someone say, “Well, in this economy I’ve got to watch every penny.” I’ve heard so many variants on this thought these past few years. “In this economy, we have to cut our food budget.” “In this economy, I just can’t afford to eat [...]

It’s no secret that I love Amazon. Living in the sticks, it is often the most efficient way for me to shop. I don’t have to get in the car, waste a lot of time, and use a lot of gas to get to town. I just sit at my computer, find what I want, [...]

The sounds coming from our eighteen year old refrigerator have recently changed. There’s more moaning and banging now instead of the smooth hum that has always been there. I’ve taken this as the cue to begin the search for a replacement, after attempting to solve the problem myself. The search has been depressing in more [...]

Sitting is the new smoking, it seems. While the medical establishment has long been trying to get people to become more active, various studies have been focusing on the negative effects of sitting too long rather than simply looking at the positives of exercise. A recent study showed that sitting less than three hours per [...]