Articles on Personal Finance

Start with recurring monthly expenses

I tend to divide spending up into four categories. [more]

Stopping the Student-Loan Debt Stress

Is your student-loan debt causing stress, influencing you to make financial decisions that are not necessarily in your best long-term interests, and delaying your entry into what your parents [more]

Best investment: yourself

I read a lot of investment books. [more]

Broken down? Turn your pencil into a flashlight.

If there's one thing I know about travel, it's be prepared. But it's sometimes easier said than done. We all know we should carry emergency supplies in the trunk of the car, and one of those essentials is a flashlight. [more]

Are You Ready for Home Ownership?

My husband and I just moved to the Great Northwest, and we batted around the idea of purchasing our first home. [more]

Stock Investing Online: ShareBuilder vs. Discount Brokerage

Are you eager to get started in stock-market investing but want to take it slow and easy at first? [more]

Did Office Max hire an accountant with an I.Q. of 62?

I think I may be losing my grip on reality. Recently I received four coupons in the mail from my local Office Max. Two coupons were for $10 off a purchase of $10. [more]

Why Treasury Bills Are Always a Worthwhile Investment

When rates are rising, you need something that responds quickly to changes in the market. That's where Treasury bills come in.

Link-Love Makes the World Go 'Round

In keeping with the warm and fuzzy feeling that Wisebread gives many of its writers and readers, I am taking a moment to give thanks to those that have linked to us over the past two weeks. [more]

MoMA mia! Art is on sale.

It's that time of year again. The Museum Of Modern Art is having a ridiculous clearance sale and there are a ton of great art bargains to be had. Everything from home artefacts to posters and personal accessories are up to 90% off! [more]

Dangerous neighborhoods are safer than commuting

Why do so few people live within walking--or at least bicycling--distance from where they work? I've asked a lot of people this question and gotten a lot of different answers. Some people want big houses, others big lawns. [more]

Frugal Transport--bicycling

Three years ago I started bicycling to work. It was a gradual thing. It took extra planning to ride--there were issues with clothing, issues with carrying stuff on the bike.

Do I need life insurance for little ones?

When my second child was born, I was approached by an insurance agent who thought that I should consider purchasing life insurance policies for my children. [more]

The Financial Balancing Act: Musings on Balancing Being Responsible with Having Fun

Sometimes, balancing debt (or staying out of it) with fun things we really enjoy brings up hard questions. [more]

Home Details I Overlooked the First Time

If you're in the market for a new home (new to you or new period), make sure you aren't paying premium prices for so-so materials, and don't underestimate the expenses and headache

3-6 months of living expenses?

Personal-finance experts often recommend having 3-6 months' worth of living expenses saved and easily accessible. In his July 1, 2007 Getting Going column ("Popular Advice

Dead car battery? Give it a glass of red wine.

  I love quick fixes for problems. [more]

‘Secret’ Attraction

I finally buckled under the pressure to remain in the loop with Oprah and I rented 'The Secret.' Now, before you think I’m going to offer a movie review, I’ll simply say that it fe

Slow DRIP into investing

My first-ever individual stock holding was a Duke Power (now Duke Energy) share that I acquired through its Dividend Reinvestment Plan or DRIP. [more]

The Bank of Gasoline

Fuel prices may be going down, but for some motorists fuel prices never went up. Over 8,000 motorists in the St. Cloud, MN area are paying an average of $.50 to $1.50 less per gall