Kate Luther's blog

About Kate Luther

Kate Luther's picture

I'm a city-girl turned country-girl who traded in the corporate 9 to 5 for a home office and a life as a freelance writer. Needless to say, I'm always looking for new ways to make money and save money and that's what I'll be sharing with you here.

Kate Luther's profile

5 Easy Ways to Save in 2010

Posted December 25, 2009 - 06:00 by Kate Luther

Budgeting, Art and Leisure

Nest Egg - Image Courtesy of Stock Xchng

With the New Year coming up fast, we're all busy making resolutions...one of which, is undoubtedly to find ways to save more. But saving isn't always easy, especially when you're already strapped for cash. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to save some considerable cash without giving up your basic conveniences. Here are my top five ways to save money in 2010.

full story 12 comments

Forgiven Debt Isn't Really Forgiven At All

Posted September 22, 2009 - 05:00 by Kate Luther

Taxes, Credit Cards

Credit Card Debt

Thinking of settling that debt with your credit card companies? You might want to think again. While debt settlement offers can be very attractive, there's often a nasty little surprise when tax time rolls around.

full story 11 comments

The Secret Really Does Have A Secret (or Ten Tenets for Arranging Your Rich - Part 3)

Posted June 22, 2009 - 22:47 by Kate Luther

Career and Income, Life Hacks, Making Extra Cash, Lifestyle

Genie in a bottle - Image from iStockPhoto.com

The third installment in my ten-part series (which has taken me much longer to write than planned), I decided to take a look at the Law of Attraction since the concept has hung around much longer than many of its critics foretold. Am I about to tell you how to visualize big bucks and then sit back as they magically appear in your bank account? Nope... I'm going to tell you why that simply won't work.

full story 10 comments

Diva On A Budget - Living The Good Life When Your Fortune Isn't So Great

Posted March 28, 2009 - 16:16 by Kate Luther

Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Deals, Shopping, Lifestyle, Health and Beauty, Budgeting, Art and Leisure

Living The Life of Luxury - Photo Courtesy of Stock Xchng

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend but in this economy, most of us are foregoing that friendship in order to make ends meet. But just because we're not rolling in the dough doesn't mean we can't enjoy a few choice luxuries when we choose.

The secret is balance.

full story 12 comments

Bouncing Back When There's No "Bounce" Left

Posted January 6, 2009 - 21:17 by Kate Luther

Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Life Hacks, General Tips, Lifestyle

No More Bounce - Image Courtey of Stock Xchng

We all have our ups and downs. We've all faced some pretty depressing odds and come out on top.

But sometimes, it feels like you just can't get ahead, no matter how hard you try. So what do you do?

Here's how to bounce back when the "bounce" is all gone.

full story 11 comments

Looking On The Bright Side: How to Find A Silver Lining In The Current Financial Crisis

Posted October 19, 2008 - 11:20 by Kate Luther

Personal Finance, Frugal Living, General Tips, Making Extra Cash, Shopping, Lifestyle, Real Estate and Housing, Credit Cards

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining - Image Courtesy of Stock XChng

While this might be the biggest economic disaster of our generation, it might not be the big bad wolf that we all think it is. Quite the contrary, this little financial lesson might teach us more than humbleness... we might just come out better all the way around.

full story 12 comments

Book Review: Personal Development for Smart People: The Conscious Pursuit of Personal Growth

Posted October 11, 2008 - 19:28 by Kate Luther

Life Hacks, Productivity

Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina

Some books draw you in with mystery and suspense. Others keep you hooked with drama or intrigue. And then there are some that just manage to really hit home and make you say "Ah-ha!"

Such is the case with Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina. Using what Steve calls "personal growth from high-level concepts to practical actions", Personal Development for Smart People goes beyond just setting goals and takes us much deeper into the human psyche.

full story 5 comments

Too many online accounts? You need an aggregator.

Posted August 6, 2008 - 18:15 by Kate Luther

Life Hacks, Productivity, Technology, Freebies

Multitasking

From Twitter to Digg, emails to IM and let's not forget all those social networking sites, its easy to get bogged down just by logging on.

Fortunately, you can keep your online socialite status without sacrificing productivity in the process. If you've got too many online accounts, there's just one thing to do: aggregate them, baby!

full story 16 comments

5 Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill

Posted August 5, 2008 - 17:08 by Kate Luther

Frugal Living, Shopping, Food and Drink, Budgeting

At the Supermarket

If you're like me, a trip to the store for a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk can easily run $30 to $40 bucks. Has inflation just really gone up in my neck of the woods? No... I just always seem to find other things I need.

But now that we've moved to the country - and I mean, really out in the country - running to the store is more than just a quick jaunt around the corner. In fact, going to the grocery store means "going into town" and that's somewhat of an event all by itself.

So, to save on gas and to avoid multiple trips to the store, I decided to rethink the way I shopped. Here's five easy ways to cut your grocery bill and get the most from your shopping trip.

full story 23 comments

3 Ways to Travel Free (Or At Least Really Darned Cheap!)

Posted June 18, 2008 - 09:52 by Kate Luther

Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Lifestyle, Cars and Transportation

How would you like to get out and "see the world"? Visit the Carthage Ruins or spend a week just hiking across Europe. Paris, Italy or maybe the Bahamas... there's really just no end to the places you can go.

Now, I know what you're saying - those places cost money and technically you'd be right. While traveling is certainly one of the more exciting ways to spend your time, airfare and hotel rooms can add up quickly and with the economy the way it is... well, it looks like Aunt Tessie's farm is about all the traveling you'll be doing anytime soon.

But there are ways to get around those big travel expenses without sacrificing your fun. In fact, with these tips you might just find that your trips become all the more adventurous!

full story 7 comments

To Tax or Not To Tax: That Is The Money Market Question

Posted May 3, 2008 - 09:09 by Kate Luther

Personal Finance, Investment, Taxes

Tax - Image Courtesy of Stock Xchng

As America’s love affair with self-investing continues to grow, so does our fascination with tax-free accounts. Don’t believe me? See for yourself. The next time you’re in a conversation, try working the words “tax free” into your conversation and watch the ears perk up. Admit it. We despise taxes. We loathe them. So much so in fact, that Uncle Sam made not paying those taxes a crime. So the idea that we can legally earn a buck without sharing it with our dear old uncle is well, deliciously criminal.

full story 2 comments

The Same Actions Will Produce The Same Results (Ten Tenets for Arranging Your Rich: Part 2)

Posted April 16, 2008 - 18:00 by Kate Luther

Personal Finance, Career and Income, Life Hacks, Budgeting, Lifestyle, General Tips

Predictability - Image Courtesy of Stock Xchng

A while back I posted the first of what I promised would be "Ten Tenets to Arranging Your Rich". And wouldn't you know it, right after posting Tenet #1, things got a little crazy and life interfered with my blogging plans. Go figure :)In any event, I think we're back on track now and as promised, we've got nine more tenets to go. So, without further adieu, here's tenet #2: The same actions will produce the same results.

full story 4 comments

Ten Tenets for "Arranging Your Rich" - Part 1: Rich is Relative

Posted February 19, 2008 - 16:39 by Kate Luther

Personal Finance, Career and Income, Life Hacks, General Tips, Making Extra Cash, Lifestyle, Budgeting

Choose Your Direction - Image Courtesy of Stock.Xchng

There are some guiding principles to arranging your own wealth. Ten, in fact. Ten important "tenets" to keep you grounded and on track as you begin the "arranging your rich" process.

full story 11 comments

Don't Have A Sven? Sandy Might Be the Next Best Thing

Posted February 12, 2008 - 20:43 by Kate Luther

Life Hacks, Productivity, Technology

Managing Your Calendar - Photo Courtesy of Stock.Xchg

If you've seen AT&T's latest smartphone commerical , then you know just how handy having a "Sven" would be. Sven tells you when to get up, notifies you of your daily schedule and reminds you of things you need to know to get the most from your day.Wouldn't it be great if we all had a Sven?For those of us that don't, Sandy might just be the next best thing.

full story 3 comments

The Key To Making Money Online? Diversification, Baby!

Posted February 11, 2008 - 21:41 by Kate Luther

Making Extra Cash

Eggs in one basket - Photo Courtesy of Stock.Xchg

Most of us are familiar with the term "diversification". Its what the well-respected analysts tell us to do with our investment portfolios to insure against the ups and downs of the market.But why stop there?Just as diversification can help balance your investments, it can also help balance your income. And for those of you hoping to make a living online, balance is definitely key.

full story 22 comments

An Easier Way to Manage Your To-Do's

Posted February 7, 2008 - 17:55 by Kate Luther

Frugal Living, Life Hacks, Shopping, Productivity, Freebies

Shopping List - Photo Courtesy of Stock Xchange

Shopping lists, grocery lists, wish lists.... maybe we need a list for our lists? If you're looking for a a better way to manage all your to-do's, there's plenty of online solutions to choose from and the best part is.... these are free :)

full story 17 comments

The Pros and Cons of Dollar-Cost Averaging

Posted February 6, 2008 - 11:11 by Kate Luther

Personal Finance, Investment

Stock Market - Photo Courtesy of Stock.Xchang

Having balanced your budget and analyzed your risk, you're now ready to start tackling that "investing" entry on your list of new year's resolutions. But where do you start? When should you buy? How can you get the best return on your investment?If you've never heard of dollar-cost averaging, you have now and if you're wondering how it all works, then you've come to the right place.

full story 9 comments

6 Reasons to Become Self-Employed

Posted January 31, 2008 - 16:15 by Kate Luther

Entrepreneurship

Siesta on the Beach - Photo Courtesy of Stock.Xchng

At some point in their lives, everyone has dreamed about starting their own business. Whether its selling cosmetics and beauty products, marketing your own personal invention or selling drop-ship items through eBay, there's just something really sexy about the idea of being your own boss.

full story 18 comments

Making Every Penny Count With A Zero-Based Budget

Posted January 30, 2008 - 18:00 by Kate Luther

Budgeting

Stack of Pennies - Photo Courtesy of Stock Xchng

Feel like you're just living payday-to-payday? Having trouble figuring out where all your money goes? Then a zero-based budget just might be for you.

full story 20 comments

Have more to say? Join the discussions at Wise Bread's Finance and Frugality Forums.

Finance Blogs - Blog Top Sites