Articles on Budgeting

The Disaster Known as the California State Budget

Live in California? Fed up with the budget crisis? If you could whisper a suggestion in your state reps ear or our illustrious governor, what would you suggest?

Survivor Island Meal Plans: Use it or Lose It in 5 Easy Steps

Whether you’re a bit strapped for cash, or you’re facing the dreaded task of defrosting your freezer, it’s always good to do a complete “use it up” routine with your food supply.

Time Is Money: Budget Them Both Out

We hear it all the time: Time is Money. But do we really treat our time with the same respect we treat our money? If we really do believe that time is valuable shouldn't we be budg

A Frugal Resource: The Community College

One of my favorite frugal resources is the community college. Even though I’ve taken several classes at my local college, I’ve barely tapped into the depth of resources available n

Debit Or Credit? Which One Should You Choose At The Checkout?

Debit or credit? Although the outcome seems the same, it’s a different process with different consequences.

Buying Shiny New Things Without The Guilt

Saving beforehand without dipping into savings or paycheck takes the guilt out of buying process.

Beware, The Nasty Secret Of The Craigslist Free Section

If you love Craigslist, and use the free section to either post products or get great deals, you really need to read this. Because there’s a dirty secret to Craigslist that most pe

Suze Orman Tells Us To Pay ONLY The Minimum On Credit Cards. Wait, What?!

You’re not seeing things. This is not an April Fool’s gag (although if I’d written this last year it would have been). No, this is Suze Orman’s latest advice and it is a complete 1

How to Survive (And Perhaps Thrive) On a Teacher's Salary

In today’s economic climate, many people would be grateful to have any kind of salary, but it’s a fact that many teachers and other service professionals have always been strugglin

Ten Great Charities that Deserve Your Dollars This Year

These are difficult economic times, but I'm getting tired of being told to spend my money on stuff, as if my personal saving habits are somehow ruining the economy. Instead of thro

Oprah Asks A Great Question; What Can You Live Without?

My wife brought this to my attention. I’m not an avid Oprah viewer, but usually when I tune in I hear good advice. And with the help of financial guru Suze Orman, she’s asking fami

The Gettin'-Baptized-in-the-Watah Epiphany

In an average week, an average chunky-blooded professional American could easily spend up to $140 on a combination of drinks that come with meals such as morning coffee, herbal tea

Looking at Your Expenses with New Eyes

A lot of people think that banks have high security, but the most fortified brick-and-mortar institution in my town is the local Comcast office. This is where you have to go to dro

Too broke to be frugal?

The first few years after I got out of college my finances were seriously out of control. I was making pretty good money, but I was spending all of it. Worse, I wasn't keeping tr

Lower Your Credit Card Interest Rate and Reduce Your Phone Bill, Immediately and Easily

Are your credit card interest rates getting to you? Are those monthly cell phone bills a pain in the wallet? How about cable TV? Internet? Even the power bill? Would you like to re

6 Ways that Dieting and Budgeting are Exactly the Same

The New Year usually brings about two very common goals for most people: Getting in shape and getting their finances under control. Dieting is the number one method of achieving t

Leave Marley in the Movies: Why Buying a Trendy Pet Makes No Sense

Who doesn’t fall in love with the many animals featured in hit movies of today and years past? You may be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t want to adopt 101 cute spotted dog

The Real Value of Forever Stamps

Considering that I pay most bills online, I don’t use a whole lot of postage stamps these days. When I do, however, it almost always involves me digging through piles of paperwork

Recession Journal Part I: 'Fast' Money in the '09

Forget about the fact that it's a recession. What you do now determines where you will be when the graph trends up again. What if you stopped dropping duckets like you dropped weig

The Piggy Bank: A Secret to Simple Saving

When I was a sophomore in college, my dad gave me a piggy bank for Hanukkah. I couldn't figure it out at first — had my dad forgotten that I was all grown up and didn't need a pigg