Articles on Lifestyle

America Is the No Vacation Nation

Studies show that Americans are not using all their vacation time and are not given as much vacation time as other developed countries to begin with.

Beyond the Slow Cooker: 10 Eco- and Budget-Friendly Household Helpers That Progress Left Behind

Cleaning? Cooking? Ugh, you say. Make friends with it, compadre; they’ve got to be part of the frugal warrior’s toolkit. I look for ways to make it easier and cheaper, because when

5 Ways to Live Better Without Spending More

The most simple-minded measure of your standard of living is how much money you spend: spending more equals living better. Reality is more complex. There are a lot of ways to li

Knowing When to Walk Away: Financial Planning for an Unknown Ending

People have a notion that they must amass a certain amount of money, no matter how long it takes, before they can retire. But what if it took you 40 years of work to reach $1 milli

10 Life and Money Lessons Learned From Immigrant Parents

My immigrant parents have taught me many lessons about saving money, but the following 10 lessons were most influential in shaping how I lead my life as a 30-something today.

Balancing Spending with Saving: Being Frugal but not Miserly

Take frugal too far, and we can become miserly before we even know what hit us.

The Curse of Momentum

The curse of momentum keeps us in our chairs, living lives we aren’t passionate about. Once stuck in a routine, it is easier to perpetually roll along in the same direction than it

Best Money Tips: 5 Tips on How to Delay Gratification

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips roundup. We’ve got tips for making a house a home, a condo a house, and a life with less than you ever thought possible. Read on for the

Save Money on Travel Accommodations

I don't travel just to sleep in fancy hotel beds, and I prefer to keep as much of my travel budget available for entertainment as possible! You might be able to save money on your

10 Ways to Get More Wear Out of Your Clothing

With the average American family of four spending almost $4,000 per year on clothing, think of the money you can save by extending the life of your clothes and hanging onto them lo

10 Hidden Costs & Rules of Pet Ownership

Here's what adoption agencies and pet shops don't tell you about your future pet. Find out these hidden rules & costs of owning pets before you bring home your furry friend.

Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk

There’s one fact that is undeniable in America; we just don’t walk enough. A dependence on automobiles, elevators and escalators, coupled with a growing lack of interest in exercis

How I'm Conquering My Bag Lady Fears: My 10-Step Program

What keeps me up late at night? I worry about becoming a bag lady. And I have plenty of company; a lot of women (and some men also)have secret fears about living on the streets wit

Will "forced frugality" last?

Lately I have been hearing about the concept of "forced frugality" from the media and my peers. Many colleagues and family members say that they feel a need to be frugal in this

Budgeting for Your Next Vacation: Yaycations

Here is a fun tool to help you figure out how you can save money, and then where that money can take you. It gives us a chance to dream big, and (even better) find ways to make tho

Best Money Tips: C'mon In, The Water's Fine

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips roundup. In this edition, we'll share how you can find online coupons, learn to sell your house in this depressing economy, look beyond e

Americans' savings rate up to almost 7% - who benefits?

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the personal savings rate in May 2009 was 6.9%. This a 15 year high and a far cry from the negative savings rates of just a few yea

47 Simple Ways To Waste Money

How are you doing with your money? Do you have everything under control, or are you spending a little more than you should? Well, if you'd like to blow even more of your money, thi

Not driving your less-frugal friends crazy

A while back, I heard an interview with a guy who, troubled by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, decided the right response was to quit driving. The bit of the interview that stuck with

Book review: The Education of an American Dreamer by Peter G. Peterson

The Education of an American Dreamer: : How a Son of Greek Immigrants Learned His Way from a Nebraska Diner to Washington, Wall Street, and Beyond is the personal memoir of Peter G