Archive for May, 2008
5 Free Things to Do This Weekend
Entertainment budgets in today’s economy are getting lower as prices for everything get higher. Couples and families need to find innovative way to fight back restlessness without spending much money. Here are 5 free ideas you can try out this weekend. Let me know what happens. Have a Game Night While board games are slightly [...]
Saving your Money – Effective Strategies to Control Your Spending Habits
Have you ever wondered where it is that all of your money has gone? Do you go out shopping and come home at the end of day and ask ‘what did I spend all my money on?’ Do you ever wonder how you can stretch your dollar further? Become Aware- Write it Down One of [...]
6 Tips For Buying a Used Car
There are a number of reasons why buying a used car makes more sense than buying a new car. I’d say just about everyone has heard the discussion about how much value a new car loses the second you drive it off the sales floor. Plus- there are many people who don’t want to take [...]
Money Lessons for Generation X
As a 30-something….okay 34 year old, I am learning tips and tricks for finances every day of my life. However, I have recently come across some pretty specific bits of advice for people my age that I wish I would have learned much earlier. Here is what I learned…maybe a little too late. Don’t Neglect [...]
Show Caves near Lake of the Ozarks
The Lake of the Ozarks in Central Missouri is a lovely place to relax and let your cares slip away. If water is your thing, you’ll find plenty of water sports waiting for you. But here’s a diversion you may not have thought of: exploring caves. Missouri has close to two dozen show caves, four within easy [...]
Keep Cool When You Rent
Summer heat can take a toll on everyone and make for a long summer season. Many tips for cooling your home and making it more energy efficient are easy to find. But what if you can’t afford the renovations or if you live in rental property you can not change? Here are some ways to [...]
5 Money Tips for Financial Smarts
While there is often a consistent theme when it comes to financial advice for living paycheck to paycheck, there are some other tips not often included in common methods for hanging on to your money. Those now living paycheck to paycheck, may not be used to having such tight reigns on their cash. Here are [...]
How to Make the Most of Financial Windfalls
Most of us dream of winning the lottery or receiving an amazing inheritance from relative you never knew existed. Most of us can list all of the things we’d buy or do with that money, but the chances of this happening is slim to none! What does happen to just about everyone, are little financial [...]
It’s Carnival of Personal Finance Time, #154
One of American Consumer News blog posts took a trip to Canada in the Carnival of Personal Finance, hosted at Canadian Dream – Free at 45. They liked my article about Automatic 401k Plans. Also included in this weeks carnival: Accumulating Money tells us What to do before age 30 to set you on a [...]
American Airlines to Charge for First Checked Bag
It was bound to happen. With all the financial trouble the major airlines have seen recently, the question was never really “if” but “when” or “who”. Last week, we got our answers. As of June 15, American Airlines will begin charging a $15 fee for the first checked bag on domestic flights. The second checked bag [...]
Save For Later or Pay it Off Now?
One of the most frequently asked finance questions people have is whether they should be paying off their debts or saving more towards their retirement. There really isn’t a one-size fits all solution that will work in every situation, but there are some things to consider to help you decide whether it makes more sense [...]
18 Holes and Your Family Budget
Some find golfing to be a relaxing and enjoyable experience but the high cost of playing 18 holes can be squeezed out of the family budget.Here are some tips to keep you out on the greens and not wasting green. Play Off-Peak Many golfers employ a routine of a Saturday morning tee-time. Weekend play can [...]
Peer to Peer Lending for College Students?
By now you’re probably aware of peer to peer lending organizations, like Prosper.com. This type of lending allows people to post a request for a loan and for other people to lend them some of the money they’re requesting. Basically, people post their need for a loan, including how much money they’re looking for, what [...]
Automate Savings With Automatic 401(k) Plans
More than a third of large companies in the United States are offering the automatic 401(k) savings plan as an employee benefit. The intention is that the automatic savings will help employees save despite the decline in Social Security benefits and struggling economy. There is also an automatic 403(b) retirement plan option for teachers and [...]
Get the Best Deal on Your Next Credit Card with Credit Land
A lot of people aren’t getting the most out of their credit card. When they turn 18 they fill out whatever credit card applications come in the mail and pick up a credit card or two for their daily purchases. Some people keep the first credit cards they receive for years and never take the [...]
Breaking the bank: What is Bankruptcy?
Bankruptcy is, quite simply, the decision to declare an inability to pay off debts, and the process by which these debts may be written off. It’s bad for an individual, and it’s bad for the creditor to whom the debt is owed. And it’s on the increase, partly because of the culture of borrowing that [...]
Keep Your Pool from Drowning Your Budget
Summer time fun doesn’t always have to cost your family and arm and a leg. If your family is lucky to have a pool in the backyard, it can definitely keep the costs of summer fun down. Inviting family and friends over for a potluck dinner and a swim can be a lot of fun. [...]
How to Prepare Your Car for a Road Trip
Are you planning to take the family on the road this summer? Make sure your trip goes smoothly by giving your car a good once-over before you pull out of the driveway. These tips will only take a few minutes of your time but they can make the difference between enjoyable sight-seeing or a long, [...]
5 Ways to Cut Down Your Prescription Drug Costs During Retirement
People over the age of 65 make up only about 14% of the U.S. Population; but they consume more than a third of the $266 billion or more spent on prescription drugs in a year. Younger retirees, those between the ages of 65 and 69, take about 14 prescriptions per year; while those who are [...]
Quick Tips for an Inexpensive Family Reunion
School will soon be letting the children free for the joys of summer and families may get to enjoy a little down time in the sun. It’s a perfect time to organize a family reunion. Whether it has been an annual thing for years or something you’ve been wanting to put together for awhile, organizing [...]
Carpools Are The Way to Stay on the Go
Nearly $4.00 a gallon and rising daily, the cost of gas is just outrageous and more and more people are beginning to find themselves feeling the squeeze. People need to go to work everyday to keep earning a paycheck but what happens when the majority of that paycheck goes to the fuel fund just to [...]
How to Beat Jet Lag
You’ve planned for your European vacation for months, but when your plane touches down, you find yourself tired, irritable, and in no mood for doing all the fun things you planned. Welcome to the not-so-wonderful world of jet lag. Jet lag typically occurs after a long flight that crosses three or more time zones. Symptoms [...]
Cruising and the Single Supplement Charge
ost cabins on cruise ships are designed to accommodate at least two people. The rates listed for these cabins are “per person based on double occupancy” or PPDO. For instance, an advertised rate of $1000 means $1000 per person or $2000 total. So what happens if you’re traveling alone? Even though the listed rate is supposedly [...]
Carnival of Personal Finance #153, Ask and You Shall Receive
Money and Values has posted a Question and Answer session for the Carnival of Personal Finance #153, and it’s loaded with answers to commonly asked personal finance questions. Love it! Take a look and see if your questions are answered. Here are a few links to blog posts I liked this week: Create Your Own [...]
Traveling with an Alzheimer’s Patient
Sonja and David eagerly looked forward to their yearly cruises. When David was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Sonja saw no reason to just sit around at home and wait for the end. She continued to travel with David until less than a year before he finally succumbed to his illness. If your loved one has [...]
Pitch A Great Family Vacation
With the cost of gas, airline tickets, and family budgets tightening, vacations may begin to seem like luxuries of the past. Fear not, Families! There is a low-cost, family friendly alternative that will not only get you out of the house for a few days; it can also bring you and your family closer together [...]
Invest – Don’t Splurge Inheritance Money
Losing someone close to you is a difficult situation to deal with. Mourning the loss of a loved one is generally also coupled with making complicated decisions about finances, funeral arrangements, moving on with life. If you are the recipient of an inheritance, it is crucial that you do not drown your sorrows with a [...]
I agree. If a local business is the one offering the sale price I will buy it from them. ...
We are retired and live on a grocery budget of $200 a month for 2 people in the Midwest. That ...