Recent comments

  • 7 Frugal Myths Debunked   14 years 26 weeks ago

    Nobody should ever think frugal is a bad word - whether people choose to be or not, it's still an honest way to live! Great article.

  • SaveUp Giving Away $1000 to Wise Bread Readers   14 years 26 weeks ago

    The thought of not being able to provide for my family.

  • 14 (Mostly) Frugal Valentine’s Day Recipes   14 years 26 weeks ago

    A lot of really cute ideas, I'm not ashamed to say I love all the heart-shaped food. And I was excited to see a recipe from Cheeky Kitchen - I love that blog!

  • SaveUp Giving Away $1000 to Wise Bread Readers   14 years 26 weeks ago

    My baby boy motivates me to save. I want him to have a yard to play in someday. I also want to model wise financial decisions for him, so he doesn't end up deep in debt like so many people in this country.

  • SaveUp Giving Away $1000 to Wise Bread Readers   14 years 26 weeks ago

    My baby boy motivates me to save. I want him to have a yard to play in someday. I also want to model wise financial decisions for him, so he doesn't end up deep in debt like so many people in this country.

  • SaveUp Giving Away $1000 to Wise Bread Readers   14 years 26 weeks ago

    To tide through rainy days and buying things value for money :)

  • SaveUp Giving Away $1000 to Wise Bread Readers   14 years 26 weeks ago

    I am motivated to save by my uncertainty of the future. I'll be graduating from college soon, and I don't have a job waiting for me. Not knowing where I'll be going or what I'll be doing means that I don't want to be sitting on an empty bank account when the time comes to start paying off my student loans.

  • SaveUp Giving Away $1000 to Wise Bread Readers   14 years 26 weeks ago

    My children motivate me to save. I don't want my two daughters to graduate from college with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt, like I did. I want to give them a debt-free start in life.
    Karen

  • SaveUp Giving Away $1000 to Wise Bread Readers   14 years 26 weeks ago

    I save so that I can be financially independent some day.

  • SaveUp Giving Away $1000 to Wise Bread Readers   14 years 26 weeks ago

    I've become momtivated to save by keeping track of the things I save on and setting that money aside. So easy, and even small amounts add up.

  • SaveUp Giving Away $1000 to Wise Bread Readers   14 years 26 weeks ago

    i grew up in a family where money was a constant source of stress and as an adult, and now a mother of two, we save diligently. much of it is for comfort of knowing we won't have to work forever, and our kids' college costs won't be so overwhelming to them, but mainly, i do it so i never have to worry the same way my single mother did.

  • How to Make Moonshine   14 years 26 weeks ago

    Guest,
    All the recipes have been posted. There could be some really helpful info you are passing up by not reading the previous post. Give it a try. Short cut, 5 pound and 5 gallons, some yeast. That will work for now, but read some more.

  • How to Answer 23 of the Most Common Interview Questions   14 years 26 weeks ago

    The best answer for "how much are you looking to make for this position?" is really quite simple: "What ever the job pays".

  • How to Choose a Real Estate Agent   14 years 27 weeks ago

    At the end of the day, we all have to remember that real estate agents are ultimately looking out for their best interest as well. I think the ultimate key, like you stated, is to go through a referral from a friend.

    Another tip is to look at their MLS listing to see how many homes they've sold. Closely look at the listing price vs sale price to see how good of a negotiator they are.

  • How to Go on a Financial Detox   14 years 27 weeks ago

    Andrea,

    Great job on the article. It's important to figure out where the root of your debt/spending problems are coming from. We're all told what's "acceptable" in society, especially how you used the example of going to a salon every month to get a haircut.

  • Surprising Things That Can Kill Your Credit   14 years 27 weeks ago

    Hi Kate,

    Great read. I didn't know that car rental agencies check your credit when renting a car? I've never heard of a car rental agency that asks for your SSN.

  • How to Not Be a Debt Slave   14 years 27 weeks ago

    Hey Phil,

    You can't go to prison for not paying your debts in the United States. If you fail to file an answer to the court summons, the creditor will automatically win a default judgment against you..they will then reach out to your employer to garnish wages (depending on your state), and they can take up to 25% of your disposable income or 30x federal min wage, whichever is less. Of course this is on the federal level, but some states have their own specific rules.

    I guess the only way you can really go to jail is if your intentions were to fraud the bank, but I don't think that was the context here.

  • 6 Options if You're Underwater on Your Mortgage   14 years 27 weeks ago

    We all bought into what we thought was an investment. i.e., The American Dream. The Home has historically been the pot of gold we could put our hands into when the time came.

    Buy a Home, then re-fi. Use the money for vacation, home improvements, college tuition....whatever you want. That's how the ads were marketed.

    But now, theirs no equity in the homes. No equity=No money to loan. And for those that live in older homes, there's no cash to pull out to pay for electrical, plumming or structual rennovations.

    Something beats Nothing! And this whole mortage industry needs to start HELPING AMERICANS. This economic war that's going on in America will benefit NO ONE.

    The wealthy have become so disconnected, they don't realize their need for middle income Americans. DAAAH-HOW DO THEY THINK THEY GOT WEALTHY?

    They need middle income Americans to serve them. I bet ALL The wealthy have servants. So when we loose our homes, can we come live with you?

    Thanks for listening.
    Bonnie

  • 7 Frugal Myths Debunked   14 years 27 weeks ago

    This is a great post! I grew up with a mom who spared no expense - even though she had virtually no income. She declared bankruptcy before I was 20 because she had amassed well over $20k in credit card debt. I worry that she'll do the same thing all over again, but I can't control her finances.
    Because I grew up with no financial limits, I've had a really hard time setting boundaries for myself. Now that I'm a stay-at-home-mom, my husband and I have to be disciplined about our expenses. People, even my own children, assume that we are broke because we choose not to spend money on every whim, but that is not the case at all.

  • 16 Great Tax Deductions You May Have Overlooked   14 years 27 weeks ago

    The Long-Time Resident Homebuyer Credit also requires you to have served time in the armed forces or intelligence community for a certain amount of time.

    I doubt very many people qualify for this deduction. If meet the requirements, you likely also move for you job pretty often.

  • 9 Ways to Earn Extra Cash When Money Is Tight   14 years 27 weeks ago

    I have been doing pretty well with zip nada zilch. It is a free trial site but you can make $60-$80 per referral with the Big Cash option, or $20 per referral with the One option. Check it out. Easily making an extra $5,000 per year.

  • 7 Frugal Myths Debunked   14 years 27 weeks ago

    I'm frugal, but I am more than willing to spend on entertainment and vacation expenses. You only live once, and you're only young once, but material things do almost nothing for me.

  • Ask the Readers: How Often Do You Review Your Credit Report?   14 years 27 weeks ago

    Once a year, or more only if I think something is wrong.

  • How to Make Moonshine   14 years 27 weeks ago

    Zorcy you have been a great help. Sugar and water is for clear. But how much sugar to water for that? Thanks.

  • How to Make Moonshine   14 years 27 weeks ago

    I'll be trying this again very soon. I got hooked after my 1 gallon beer brew and have gone out and gotten myself setup with a system to make 5 gallons. The last part i need to buy for that is an immersion chiller which will just so happen to nicely double as a worm to condense booze. I' just need to figure out a way to seal a lid onto my pot. I've got drill bits and already added ball valve spigots onto my brewing pots so I can easily add a hose barb fitting to a lid, just need a way to seal it on the pot well. Anyone got any suggestions?