Articles on Frugal Living

A champion of savings over spending

We're subjected to constant barrage of unhelpful advice to the effect that what the economy needs is more spending. (The stimulus program is one piece of this.) It's kind of unde

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

4 “Secret” Ingredients for More Delicious Dishes

Check out these four uniquely affordable ingredients that can covertly jazz up your dishes for mere pennies!

6 Frugal Ways to Beat Cabin Fever

One nice day can throw your senses into a tizzy after spending the last several months couped up in the house or bundled up in layered clothing. Struggling through cabin fever can

Frugality goes international

The existence of a strong frugality movement in rich countries may be more of a surprise to people in the poor countries than the other way around. Still, with the economy the way

Write for money online - Part 5 - Your own blog or website

In parts one through four I reviewed various revenue sharing websites. There are actually many more of these sites out there that share a part of their revenue as long as you prov

How to Host a Traveler: 13 Tips to Keep it Safe, Easy, and Cheap

Here at Wise Bread, we know that couch-sharing services, such as Couch Surfing, can save you money when traveling. As good as this sounds, many have reservations about hosting stra

Needs, wants, and not even wants

Hang around with frugality and simplicity types for any length of time and you'll hear a lot about distinguishing between needs and wants. It's come to me, though, that this issue

Can cheap AppleCare on eBay be trusted?

Getting peace-of-mind protection for your Mac or iPod for less — in some cases over $150 less — looks tempting. But is it for real? Read on and find out.

Master Your Life and Stop Self-Sabotage (Book Review)

You almost get that job promotion you yearn so badly for, but things fall through at the last minute. Every time your love life gets serious, the relationship blows apart. You woul

Write for money online series - Part 4 - Mahalo.com

So far I have reviewed three pay for content sites. Today I am reviewing a site called Mahalo. This is a site that is aiming to be a human powered search engine. It was started

2009 Entertainment Book Giveaway

As a special gift to one lucky Wise Bread reader, the publishers of Entertainment.com has given me a 2009 Entertainment Book to give away!

Valentine's Day on a Budget

Looking for ways to honor your partner and your financial goals at the same time? Don't want to be a dud this Valentine's Day, but don't have fifty to a hundred bucks to drop on ch

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

Focus Focus Fo....What Was I Saying?

We as a nation are looking at finances in a way we might not have ever done in the past. Having to analyze our bills, pay close attention to our usual spending habits, and learn th

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

Does Amazon.com's "Frustration-Free Packaging" live up to its name?

Amazon.com recently announced their "Frustration-Free Packaging" initiative, aimed squarely at reducing the jagged tears and nasty lacerations. But is it as good as they claim?

Write for money online series - Part II - Associated Content

In the first part of this series about writing for money online I covered a relatively new revenue sharing site named Bukisa. Today I am reviewing a much more established website

37 Ways You’d be Better Off as a Bum

First, apologies for the blatantly provocative title (although I do make good on it). But did you know that some people prefer to be homeless? I know, sounds crazy right? But I was

Write for money online series - Part I - Bukisa

I started writing online in 2007 at my personal blog and have not stopped since. I am very fortunate to have been selected to join Wise Bread last year and I have made a steady am