Posted 7 weeks 12 hours ago by Philip Brewer
There are a lot of budget templates out there. Any will serve the purpose, and if you've got one that's working for you, that's a good enough reason to stick with it. If you don't have a budget, though, or if you're going to be changing your budget categories around for some other reason, I've got some thoughts on what makes a good category.
Posted 8 weeks 1 day ago by Philip Brewer
I don't know if energy costs will keep rising. Nobody does. Even with recent growth in China, India, and elsewhere, the US still consumes 25% of the oil produced world-wide, so a severe recession in the US could easily cut total demand enough to bring the price down. Recession or not, I think the medium-term trend in energy costs is up. Just in case I'm right, you ought to have plan for that.
Posted 10 weeks 1 day ago by Myscha Theriault
With food and fuel prices continuing to rise, we all need help finding areas to conserve. One of the cheapest items at the grocery store? Boxed frozen spinach. Think it can’t be sexy? Read on.
Posted 10 weeks 3 days ago by Philip Brewer
My very first experience running a household was in 1980, just as the last big inflation was spiking up over 10%. My carefully constructed budget was completely destroyed by prices that were rising by 1% every month. Since then, I've given considerable thought to how to deal with just that situation. Since history seems dangerously close to repeating itself, it's a timely topic.
Posted 21 weeks 4 days ago by Anthony Marrone
Every day I read about 60-70 personal finance/frugal living blogs. Through the help of many of our online friends, I have been fortunate enough to put my personal finance position into its proper perspective, and begin to take ownership of my financial decisions and decision-making. However, even after completing a total overhaul of my spending and budgeting, there are some financial pitfalls I cannot avoid.
Posted 25 weeks 3 days ago by Margaret Garcia-Couoh
The road to divorce is not necessarily paved with infidelity, quite possibly it's paved with secretive purchases and a lack of budget that causes both parties resentment and stress. Want to save the marriage? Plan a realistic budget and talk it out with a glass of wine.
Posted 29 weeks 4 days ago by Paul Michael
I’ve mentioned before that I’m no fan of the greeting card and gift wrapping industries. Not only are their products way over-priced, they’re also less than original in most cases. So, when I stumbled across a site that showed me how to wrap gifts beautifully using bits and pieces around the house, well, I was more than pleased…especially at this time of year. It’s called Wrap Art.
Posted 32 weeks 1 day ago by Linsey Knerl
Our commitment to saving money has always prevented my family from buying the current year’s “Hot” toys. Every year that I hold tight to the decision to avoid trendy tech fads like the plague is another year that I am pleased with the outcome. My children and my bank account appreciate it also. Here’s why...
Posted 37 weeks 6 days ago by Paul Michael
A friend recently told me the story of how a millionaire thinks. Not every millionaire of course, just one in particular. It's ingenius, as you will discover. But it really made me ponder about the decisions I make every day, and if I could make better ones just be exercising that underused part of my anatomy - my brain.
Posted 43 weeks 2 days ago by Paul Michael
Stains. Since having kids I've noticed that my house is full of them. In the carpet, on clothes, on furniture, even on my teeth (yes, I had to drink a lot of coffee to keep me awake during those night feeds). But what I hate more than stains is paying $5 for a stain remover that never seems to do what it says on the box. "Surely there are better products I can make at home, using things I already have" I thought. And boy was I right.
Posted 45 weeks 4 days ago by Philip Brewer
Over and over again, in budgeting articles and even books on personal finance, I see sample budgets that include debt repayment as if it were an expense. This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what debt is. Your debt repayment is not an expense, it's an internal transfer. The only part that's an expense is the interest. The rest of the money was spent some time in the past, when you incurred the debt.
Posted 48 weeks 18 hours ago by Myscha Theriault
More often than not, if my husband and I need an extra vehicle on any given day, it’s for hauling one thing or another. Early in our marriage, we debated at length the wisdom of buying a truck as a back – up vehicle. On the surface, this idea can make a great deal of sense. But the more we thought about it, having an open bed truck didn’t seem to fit with our lifestyle or long term family plan. We opted for a tow-behind utility cart instead. Following are the reasons behind our decision. You may find they apply to you as well.Posted 48 weeks 4 days ago by Myscha Theriault
Loved the last list of ideas for going green and saving money? Here are ten more strategies to expand your green repertoire.
Posted 48 weeks 5 days ago by Myscha Theriault
We all hear and respond to the popular advice of stashing away an emergency savings account for those unexpected bumps life throws our way. We tuck away tax returns, bonuses, rebates and any extra bit of cash we can carve out each month. Finally, we reach our magical goal of having a few months’ or years’ worth of cash. Then, many of us kick back, start spending, and think we’re fine. Or are we? When the unexpected happens and we need to dip into our hard-earned savings account, how will that money be put back? Without a replacement plan, our emergency savings account can represent a false sense of security. How can we make sure these funds have a safety net?Posted 49 weeks 5 days ago by Myscha Theriault
Well, it's Monday and everything that brings along with it. So, we'll be digging out my favorite time saver again, the crockpot. This time, dinner's more Italian in nature. Haven't even had time for your lunch break yet? No worries. That's covered too.
Posted 50 weeks 3 days ago by Myscha Theriault
Want to help the environment, but not too keen on all of the expensive suggestions floating around out there? Here are 10 frugal ways to incorporate green living into your life without throwing your well laid budget plans to the wind.
Have more to say? Join the discussions at Wise Bread's Finance and Frugality Forums.
| Posts | Cmts | |
|---|---|---|
| Fred Lee | 3 | 19 |
| Julie Rains | 5 | 20 |
| Linsey Knerl | 12 | 31 |
| Margaret Garcia-Couoh | 2 | 6 |
| Myscha Theriault | 6 | 50 |
| Paul Michael | 6 | 14 |
| Philip Brewer | 12 | 32 |
| Xin Lu | 9 | 21 |
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