Sarah Winfrey's blog

Learn to Invest in 2010: 4 Steps to Educating Yourself

Posted January 9, 2010 - 09:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Investment

Stock Exchange

Interested in learning to invest this year but not sure how to accomplish that? By following 4 steps, you can take your knowledge to the next level (and the next, and the next) and take control of your money this year.

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It's Sew Easy to Save

Posted January 1, 2010 - 07:00 by Sarah Winfrey

DIY

Sewing Machine

Always wanted to learn to sew? Now is the perfect time. It's simple to get started and can save you money, too. Here are some tips for savvy sewing and some easy projects to help you get started.

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7 Ways to Get Warm On the Cheap

Posted December 17, 2009 - 18:56 by Sarah Winfrey

Frugal Living

Fireplace

Brrr . . . it's cold outside. If you're at all like me, there's not too much that's worse than being really and truly cold . . . except maybe paying the electric bills that will fix that. Luckily, over the years I've found ways to stay warm, from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. As an added bonus, these are all ways that don't cost nearly as much as it would to run the heater all the time. Warm and snuggly, here we come!

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How to Finish Something Hard

Posted December 11, 2009 - 06:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Life Hacks

Snowshoe hike on Mt. Ranier

Sometimes, life is just hard. None of us want to hear it, but there it is, plain and simple. And during the holiday season, it can be especially hard to deal with difficult things because we feel like we should be so happy. There are ways though, to approach difficulty that both gets things done and allows us space to care for ourselves and those around us.

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It Pays to Be True to Your School: 5 Ways Your Alma Mater Can Save You Money

Posted December 4, 2009 - 07:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Lifestyle

Graduation hat toss

With the economy still in a shambles and many people struggling to make ends meet, now may be the time to open some of those annoying envelopes your alumni association has sent you over the years. Colleges and universities are doing everything they can to make things better for their graduates during this difficult time. Amazingly enough, some of the savings are pretty substantial.

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5 Creative, Simple, and Frugal Recipes for Leftover Turkey

Posted November 20, 2009 - 06:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Food and Drink

Thanksgiving Turkey

It's that time of year again. No, not the holiday season. The time when everyone and their mother tells you what to do with all that leftover turkey you're going to have in a week. Not wanting to be left out of such honored company, here are some of the best ideas I've heard (and had!) for using up those extra bits of bird. Besides being tasty, they might not be anything you've had before, they whip up quickly, and they use ingredients that most people have on hand.

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Stock a Natural Food Pantry for Less

Posted November 13, 2009 - 08:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Food and Drink

pantry-3

Most people are under the impression that, while eating natural is better, it's also more expensive. And I'll grant that, sometimes, this is true. However, while having processed food on hand for snacks and recipes will cost you more (because you pay for the preparation), having natural ingredients is often cheaper simply because they aren't prepared. Read on for tips on what these cheaper items are, where to get the best deals, and why you might want to find them.

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Simple Living: Determining Your Priorities

Posted November 6, 2009 - 08:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Lifestyle

Peace & quiet

Even with the economy slowly exiting the spectacular nosedive it took last year, many people find themselves with a renewed interest in living simply. However, what that means for each person depends on their own individual priorities. Determining what this means for each of us sounds like it should be easy, but instead is something many of us struggle with more than we are at peace about it. There are some questions you can ask that dig right to the heart of this matter. They aren't always easy, but the answers will be more than satisfying.

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Simple Living: Overcoming Negative Inertia

Posted October 30, 2009 - 06:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Lifestyle

A man alone at sunrise

Have you ever found yourself wasting time when you know there's something you could be doing that means a lot to you? I know I find myself there all the time. What we rarely do is examine why we ended up in this situation in the first place. This might actually be the most useful reaction we could have. It's one thing to push your way out of a bad place, but quite another to figure out how to stay out of that place in the future. And staying away from those places usually involves knowing how we got there.

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What is Simple Living and Why Should I Care?

Posted October 23, 2009 - 06:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Lifestyle

Autumn trees in the mist

There's something attractive about empty space, whether it's in our decorating, how we spend our time, or some wiggle-room in our budgets. Now that we have the financial motivation, it seems like a good time to figure out what we want, why we want it, and how we're going to get there.

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3 Steps to Organize and Track Your Finances Without the Hassle

Posted October 16, 2009 - 06:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Personal Finance

Coins

Do you ever feel like there's just too much to track when it comes to your finances? You can simplify your financial life just like you can simplify any other aspect of your life: by removing clutter, imposing order, and consistently putting things back where they belong.

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Outfit Your Nursery for Less: 10 Tips for Finding Low-Cost, High-Quality Things You Need for Your Baby

Posted October 8, 2009 - 15:28 by Sarah Winfrey

Shopping

happy smiling baby face

Are you having a baby or do you know someone who is? It's an expensive process, particularly when it comes to buying all the accessories that seem to come along with having children. But it's easy to save on all these things, if you know how. Here are some tips and tricks for getting all the baby stuff you need for less than you might think possible.

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4 Tips to Save on Car Insurance

Posted October 2, 2009 - 07:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Cars and Transportation

Car Crash

Auto insurance is one of those pesky, nagging things, almost like a tiny leech. It sucks money away and we're not even always aware of it, at least until we have to write another check. The bad news is, car insurance isn't avoidable. Most states have minimal amounts that you're required to carry in order to drive legally. But the good news is that there are some easy ways to save money on your car insurance.

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Tips and Tricks for Dealing with a Recalcitrant HMO

Posted September 25, 2009 - 08:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Health and Beauty, Consumer Affairs

Doctor's Office

Most of us will, at one time or another, have to struggle with our insurance company over payment approval, referral approval, or any one of a myriad of other common issues. Here are some tips to help get insurance issues resolved as quickly as possible with a minimal hassle.

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Eat Healthy This Winter Without Spending a Fortune

Posted September 17, 2009 - 14:05 by Sarah Winfrey

Food and Drink

Canned Goods from the Farm

If you're like me, reveling in the fresh produce of summer and saddened when it departs in the fall, despair isn't your only option. There are good ways to preserve fruits and vegetables that allow you to enjoy them through fall and winter without paying a price that's too high, either for your pocketbook or for the planet.

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The Lowdown on Spending Less for Your Food but Getting More

Posted September 11, 2009 - 05:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Food and Drink

spring vegetables

Over the last several years, many of us have developed convictions about eating less, eating local, and eating organic. But when our convictions about food clash with our convictions about money, who wins? Luckily, it doesn't have to be a knock-down, drag-out battle, because it's not a win-or-lose situation. In fact, it's quite possible to find the best quality food for yourself and your family without violating either set of mores.

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Walking the Tight Rope of Financial Recovery: The Mental Game

Posted August 11, 2009 - 12:00 by Sarah Winfrey

Personal Finance

Tight rope walker

Though some economists are tentative and a few disagree outright, the majority of people in the know believe that the worldwide recession has hit rock bottom and we are now, slowly but surely, climbing our way out of the financial doldrums and back into prosperity. Now we have to discover a way to walk a tightrope of a middle line—to actively embrace the recovery while still living with the present mess and acknowledging that fact that we might not erase its effects for quite a while.

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Spend or Save: The Fashion Edition

Posted June 30, 2009 - 10:30 by Sarah Winfrey

Shopping

fashion at The Strand

Shopping for clothes doesn't have to be painful: not to your wallet, not to you schedule, and (most importantly) not to your poor, aching brain. Taking the simple step of deciding beforehand which sorts of items are worth the splurge and which ones you won't pay anything above rock-bottom for can take the aches and pains out of the most dreaded shopping trips. Click through for some basic guidelines and you'll be ready to attack that list.

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When More is Less

Posted April 1, 2009 - 09:34 by Sarah Winfrey

Frugal Living

Money

We've all heard that less is more. If you're like me, you've also heard at least a million ways to apply that. But is the opposite ever true? Do we ever save in the long run by spending more in the moment?

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Eat Dessert, Save!

Posted March 3, 2009 - 12:32 by Sarah Winfrey

Food and Drink

Macro Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Are you skipping dessert because it just costs too much, either in money, time, or calories? Skip no more! Read on for ideas to make dessert easy, affordable, and healthier than ever.

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