Personal Finance Advice

Christmas cheer kicked in when I returned from my vacation and decorated my house. I emptied my Post Office box into a bag, then onto my table. Christmas cards (I scribble on a notebook some addresses before the envelopes disappear), bills (none unexpected), a couple of coupons, and junk mail galore. While booting my budget [...]

In recent weeks I’ve seen reports flying around the Internet that some Wal-Mart stores are accepting only ten coupons or less per transaction. For a heavy coupon user like me, this is bad news. I had hoped that perhaps it was just one or two stores that were doing this but, unfortunately, this policy has [...]

If you have a lot of storage space, warehouse clubs, such as BJ’s, Costco, and Sam’s Club, can help you save some money on products you use frequently. The one we visit does not offer the best deals on every product, but we depend on it for consistently low prices (usually about 30% less than [...]

My son asked for some bananas for snack, and I started singing something I had a vague recollection of: “Yes, we have no bananas, we have no bananas today!” I got the melody all wrong, and as my husband and I tried to finagle the right tune, I offered banana spread I had made and [...]

In recent weeks I’ve felt a distinct discomfort when listening to the media, the government, and even my acquaintances talk about money. It’s always been pretty clear that I’m not normal and that I don’t fit financially into this society. I’m a saver and a proponent of more frugal lifestyles. I’m not a big spender. [...]

Who doesn’t hate the clutter of junk mail that comes via snail mail? Someone’s always advertising something and it just seems to pile up in your garbage can. I’ve personally done virtually all I can to eliminate junk mail from my physical mailbox, but when it comes to my e-mail inbox, that’s a different story. [...]

I remember playing Monopoly when I was younger and I remember landing on the squares that were marked Chance or Community Chest. You could get a card that said “Go straight to Jail,” “Pay $50 to each player” or “Win $50 in a beauty contest.” But what about that one that said “Bank Error in [...]

A number of people have pointed out that advertisements that insult consumers use these ads because they work and that I must be affected by ads, too. I agree with these comments. I never said that those particular ad strategies are ineffective, only that they are insulting. I also have nothing against advertising in general [...]

Why is it that we can hear that promise again and again for different products, yet we still perk our ears up to find out what it is that is being advertised and if it really will change our life? We all want the magic cure to the inconveniences we face in life, but does [...]

Bargain hunters looking for deeply discounted Christmas items and gift recipients eager to exchange their loot for something that better fits their bodies or personalities make the day after Christmas a busy one for retailers. With 364 shopping days until Christmas, those who work best under pressure might not have enough motivation to start shopping [...]

Everyone knows you have to sacrifice in order to spend less and save more. Just how much you are willing to sacrifice depends on how much you want to save or how quickly you want to pay off debt. It really depends on your situation and preferences in regards to how much you sacrifice in [...]

If I were to ask the average person what makes a Lexus better than a Kia, an outfit from Nordstrom better than one from WalMart or a Coach purse better than a Canyon River Blues one, the most common response I would probably get is “quality.” Now I’ve always been one to try to spend [...]

Advertising sells products. Yet, for all the time advertisers spend trying to make their products stand out, many ads don’t seem to be very well thought out. In fact, many of them have the opposite of the intended effect on me. More often than I would expect, I see an advertisement that either insults my [...]