frugality

What's Your Financial Philosophy? What It Means To Live Below Your Means

Posted February 4, 2009 - 14:38 by Silicon Valley Blogger

Personal Finance

financial philosophy, live below your means, save money

I hope you'll permit me to speculate a little on what it means to live below our means. When you think about it, there are various ways to address our financial goals, which I'll categorize into three basic approaches: you can cut costs, increase your income or do a combination of both. How do you go about saving money and building your net worth?

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Ready For Extreme Saving? Money Saving Advice For An Extreme Economy

Posted January 8, 2009 - 13:10 by Silicon Valley Blogger

Frugal Living

extreme saving

The question has arisen in our household whether I should be saving more. Should we resort to extreme saving measures during this recession? Should an extreme economy require greater money saving efforts?

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Five Frugality Hacks Straight Out of the Great Depression

Posted January 8, 2009 - 09:33 by Thursday Bram

Frugal Living

FDR Memorial

During the Great Depression, simple frugality was the only way to get by. There was a saying that everyone lived by: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." There's a lot we can learn about frugality just by looking at how folks managed during the Great Depression — and those old-fashioned ways are starting to come in handy again as we all face this financial crisis.

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Lucky trade-offs

Posted December 31, 2008 - 05:08 by Philip Brewer

Lifestyle

My lucky workstation, anywhere I want to be

I view frugal living as essentially hedonistic: I don't deny myself things. Rather, I spend less on the things I don't care about in order to be able to spend more on the things that matter to me. Anybody who does this, though, sooner or later (as soon as friends, relatives, coworkers, or neighbors notice some of that spending on things that matter more) is going to hear, "You're so lucky to be able to afford that!"

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6 Reasons I Still Don't Have a Cell Phone Plan (yet)

Posted December 5, 2008 - 19:48 by Linsey Knerl

Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Budgeting, Consumer Affairs

If you ask most people what they can't live without, many would say their computer. Just about as many would say their cell phone/PDA/Crackberry. I agree with the first one – I couldn't earn a living without my PC. I don't currently have a cell phone plan, however, and here's why.

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12 Affordable Ingredients that Add Gourmet Flair to any Meal

Posted November 28, 2008 - 18:30 by Linsey Knerl

Frugal Living, Lifestyle, Food and Drink

Does the ingredient list from that snazzy Food Network dish leave you feeling a bit underpaid and overwhelmed? Are you doubtful that your local grocer will ever carry persimmons? Here is an expert list of a dozen common ingredients that will add some flair to your dish -- for less than you'd expect.

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Sleeping In Airports For The Stranded And Frugal Minded

Posted November 26, 2008 - 21:04 by David DeFranza

Frugal Living, Lifestyle

sleeping in the airport photo

Whether it's an unplanned layover, a means of making an early flight, or simply an attempt to save money on accommodation, the season of sleeping in airports is upon us. I know, I am doing it. With a little planning and preparation, your next night in the airport can be fun and comfortable. I promise.

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Look Waste in the Face (and Save More than Money)

Posted November 24, 2008 - 08:16 by Linsey Knerl

Frugal Living, Green Living, DIY

I’m addicted to how-to tips for saving money; Shave a few dollars off any of my enormous utility bills, and my heart belongs to you. Sometimes it takes more than savvy know-how to use fewer resources and pocket some extra cash. You may need to take a long, hard, ugly look at the waste you put out…and learn to adjust your real-life practices.

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Emergency belt-tightening

Posted November 7, 2008 - 15:33 by Philip Brewer

Frugal Living

Firetruck

Typical personal finance advice would have you divide your budget categories into two groups: Your fixed expenses and your discretionary expenses. I generally don't like that distinction much--how is your power bill more fixed than your grocery bill? When you reach the point of emergency economizing, though, it's a useful way to structure your thinking.

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Hold Off On Heating with These 10 Warming Ways

Posted October 29, 2008 - 17:35 by Linsey Knerl

Frugal Living, Life Hacks, General Tips, Green Living

It’s October. In Nebraska. We will see Halloween before we smell the crackling logs on our wood stove. Because it is such a big deal for many to finally crank on the heat, we’ve implemented 10 strategies for keeping warm just a wee bit longer – sans heating unit.

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