Maggie Wells's blog

Are you a telecommuter paying commuter rates for auto insurance?

A couple of things to ask your insurance agent that might save you a good deal off of your car insurance.

DIY Entertainment--A Recipe for the Recession

Live in one of those godforsaken next to the highway hamlets? Pining for a night out on the town but can't afford it? Don't sit home. DIY your own entertainment and bring some liv

Book Review: Tyranny of Dead Ideas

Matt Miller's new Tyranny of Dead Ideas proves to be an insightful, fun read.

The Gen X Last-Minute-Get-Creative Xmas Present Alternative

Does nothing in the mall or your craft book seem like it will please the discerning taste of the Gen-Xer on your Christmas list? Don't want to spend a lot on them anyway? Consider

The Bank Christmas Tree

What are we teaching our children about wants and needs this Christmas? At my local bank branch the 'give to the needy' Christmas tree has reached new levels of tackiness.

The Great Coupon Debate

What's the one thing worse than talking about a budget with your spouse? Grocery shopping. I live with a coupon cutter who insists we buy nothing that isn't bought with coupons. Bu

Calling all Artists: Be Your Own Cheerleader and Find that Room of Your Own (free)

Virginia Woolf famously said that women needed a ‘room of one’s own’ in order to create. But what if you didn’t graduate from the University of Iowa with the New Yorker wanting to

Fresh Fruit for Rotten Cheapskates Like Me

What’s a good way to save money on fresh fruit? Eat with the season. Out of your own backyard. Or your neighbors. My quick and easy raw foods apple sauce recipe is at the end. You

Less Expensive Ways to Enjoy San Francisco

There's more to San Francisco than cable cars, Union Square, and Fisherman's Wharf. The more of the 'other' San Francisco you see, the cheaper your stay becomes--especially a stay

Back to School: The Case for majoring in English

This time of year college recruiters and counselors at both traditional and online colleges are selling students on the 'majors come lately': Criminal Justice, Business, Child Deve

The Letter Always Wins

When it comes to shaming companies into rewarding the disgruntled customer, writing an old fashioned letter (and having the tenacious personality of my husband) is all that's reall

Strategic Thriftstore Shopping

True confessions? I'm a girl and a depression shopper (as in shopping, not unlike cheesecake, makes me momentarily happy like millions of other Sex and the City watching gals). But

Buying (and Trading) on Etsy

Want to support artists, artisans,and the little guy while making your gift purchases? Need a new dress for summer but don't want it to look like everything you've just seen at Tar

The Art of the Trade

Money or not, things around the house need fixing, painting and up keep that goes beyond DIY. It might be a good time to look around your neighborhood for someone who'll trade his

Have an Amusement Park & TV Free Summer (and if you can’t, find a way to make it cheaper)

Dreading an expensive summer with the kiddies? It doesn't have to be. And even if you have to make the obligatory trip to Disneyland or some other such money sucking theme park

Joy of Life Club

Want to stay in San Francisco but don't want to pay an arm and a leg? Want more out of that $100 + a night stay in the city in the way of personality? Want some place that'

Zen Spring Cleaning (and making a little cash off it too)

The snow has melted. The kids are gone to grandma's. Sounds like the best (and most frugal) thing to do this April would be to stay home and clean, organize, and sell all that

Duh..Libraries

Want free access to the more multi media than you can handle? Get yourself to your public library before the powers that be close them all down...

College Student Eating Survival Guide (Until Spring Break)

You've got two to three weeks until Spring Break and a meal card with zero balance left. Not enough time to look for a job until you go home to mom and dad's. How will you

Plumas County: Hidden (Cheaper) California

Are you stuck on the coast paying a big mortgage on a tiny property? Do your kids spend more time with their daycare provider than with you? Do you worry that they've never see