Whenever I spend time thinking about my life, I get caught up in a lot of ideals. I think about writing a great novel. I think about some volunteer projects I’d like to work on. I think about the house I’d like to build and the great travel I’d love to do in the next ten or fifteen years. I think about my own physical fitness and I think about riding in RAGBRAI. These are wonderful dreams. […]

Tell a few personal finance bloggers that you keep cash in your house and you will invariably be asked why. Why keep cash in your account when you can put it into a high yield savings account and earn a percent of interest? What if there is a fire? What if you get robbed? […]

The short month of February is here, but don't worry — 2012 is a leap year, which means savvy consumers will have one extra day to cram in more deal-shopping! Check out our list of the best and worst things to buy in February, which we've compiled after analyzing the extensive dealnews archives full of sales, coupons, and individual products from years past. […]

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some awesome articles on how to throw a fun and frugal Super Bowl Party, encouraging nutrition in your family, and naming a guardian for your kids. Top 5 Articles How to Throw a Fun & Frugal Super Bowl Party — Make your Super Bowl party a success by hitting up the Dollar Store. […]

The following is the latest post in my "Reader Profiles" series. Each post in this series details the financial situation and challenges of an FMF reader. […]

You’ve heard of the magic of compounding, right? If not, here’s a quick version.  Let’s say you have a savings account that earns 1% per month.  (Don’t laugh too hard.  My dad had one that paid this rate at one point.)  Let’s say also that you put in $1,000 at the start of 2012, and never add anything more.  According to the Rule of 72, after about 72 months, I’ll have about $2,000.  In another 72 […]

Every weekday, I drive my daughter to preschool. It’s a nice routine, one that gives me a chance to spend some time with her. I make breakfast for her, make sure she’s adequately dressed for the weather, brush her beautiful long hair, and then we’re off to her preschool. Along the path from home to preschool is a gas station. […]

While flipping through the mail, I recently ran across a missive detailing a test of a new cash back feature for the Chase Freedom card. As you’re likely aware, many credit cards (including this one) have adopted a rotating bonus category model, where you get 5% on purchases in certain categories for a limited time, and 1% on everything else. In the past, you’ve had to re-enroll each and every qua […]

Once you’re filed your taxes, either electronically via eFile, sent off by your accountant, or mailed in the old fashioned way, you’re probably wondering when you can get your hands on that tax refund check. You can check your tax refund status 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, using the Where’s My Refund? […]