All Entries Tagged With: "saving money"
Five No-Cost Ways to Spend Your Birthday
Tweet With my birthday fast approaching, I thought it would be fitting to write about a topic that is near and dear to my heart. That’s right, I’m talking about freebies and there sure are a lot of them available nowadays. In the past, I wrote about how to get free stuff on your birthday [...]
Fight the Urge to Splurge
Tweet You’ve been prudent and created a budget. Every cent is accounted for. Things are looking good. Then WHAM, your savings and budget are annihilated because of your latest splurge. Does that sound familiar? I know it does for me. I mean, it’s fun for a moment, then you realize what you’ve just done to your personal [...]
The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving
Tweet Get Free Stuff From the Trash A few years ago, I got my hands on a book written by John Hoffman called The Art and Science of Dumpster Diving. It literally changed my life. In the past, I was very secretive about my dumpster diving. Now, I am more apt to share my finds [...]
It Might Be Time to Trade-In Your Used Car
Tweet Personal finance gurus have always talked about the value of buying used instead of new cars, and for good reason. For the better part of two decades vehicles would depreciate at a fairly rapid rate and buying even a very slightly used car could save you thousands. So it made sense to let the [...]
Expenses You Are Paying Too Much For
Tweet We all want to save money. That’s a fact. In the midst of planning for retirement, paying bills and other expenses, and hoping to have a little left over for some fun, even the most anal retentive budgeters cannot perfectly master the art of financial management. And the truth is, it’s tough. As the [...]
Extreme Couponing Doing More Harm Than Good
Tweet As a soon-to-be published author of a personal finance book, I never thought I would catch myself saying that I think that bargain shopping has become a borderline obsession for many people. I say this as the Swiffer Duster promotion on Facebook locks up within seconds of being announced and entire shelves of Nivea [...]
Get a National Park and Federal Recreational Lands Pass and Save Money
Tweet Do you love national parks but hate the idea of paying expensive fees to gain entrance into them? Does your vacation itinerary involve multiple states and camping sites? If you answered “Yes!” to these questions, the America the Beautiful Annual National Park and Federal Recreational Lands Pass may be the right option for you. [...]
Five Simple Ways to Save on Gas
Tweet The price of gas is enough to send people into a frenzy. The average American cannot afford to keep up with the fluctuation if they are relying on a fixed income. Those that are gainfully employed rely on their vehicles to get them to work. Those that are unemployed or underemployed often have just [...]
Creating a Budget: Money Management 101
Tweet For most people, the word “budget” conjures up thoughts of penny-pinching and the unpleasant task of crunching numbers. This couldn’t be further from the truth. A budget is the cornerstone of a solid financial foundation, regardless of your situation, and it isn’t that hard to do. A budget is nothing more than a breakdown [...]
American Express TrueEarnings Credit Card Review
Tweet TrueEarnings Cash Back Card from American Express and Costco Warehouse stores such as Sam’s Club and Costco usually offer exclusive deals to their customers. These deals usually consist of special promotions and savings on products, but reward credit cards often don’t apply. A good credit card that that offers substantial cash back rewards will [...]
How to Have a Successful Yard or Garage Sale
Tweet The battered old station wagon sputtered and choked its way down the street and up to my front yard. Rather than parking his car and getting out to survey the contents of my garage sale, the driver opted to gently ease his foot off the brake and coast by my house without even stopping. [...]
How To Keep Eating Well On a Budget
Tweet As the state of the economy becomes more and more uncertain, many families are obviously tightening their budgets. Cutting back on grocery costs is a great way to save money and you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice the quality of your meals. In order to keep eating well on a budget you’ll have to [...]
The Thrift Store Junkie Strikes Again
Tweet “I’m cutting you a deal,” she said. “Those books are really old. I should be charging you more for them.” With twenty dollar bill in clenched fist, I steady myself and prepare to wage war. “You always do this to me!” I reply. “You can’t change the prices once I come to the counter.” [...]
How Not to Spend Your Tax Refund
Tweet If you’re like most Americans, you will be receiving a tax refund this year. If your refund is anywhere near the average it means you’ll be getting a few thousand dollars. No, really. The average tax return for the 2010 tax year is a little higher than usual and is $3,129 so far this [...]
How to Find College Textbooks for Cheap or Free
Tweet Let’s face it, financing an education is expensive. In addition to tuition and fees, you have to factor in parking passes, extracurricular activities, and textbooks. These items alone can cost you a hefty amount of change. As a student or a parent of student, it won’t take you long to rack up a serious [...]
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