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The Simple Dollar

Simple, applicable personal finance advice for the modern world.

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Latest Posts from The Simple Dollar (page 14)

Finding Grocery Store Value: 10 Inexpensive Food Items That Work in a Lot of Meals

Published Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

One of the most transformative things you can do to alter your spending habits is to learn how to cook at home while using inexpensive staple foods as the backbone of your diet. […]

Tips for Avoiding Credit Repair Scams

Published Thursday, May 30, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

As someone who’s working to pay off significant credit card balances, as well as student loan debt, there’s rarely a week that goes by when I don’t receive some sort of debt relief marketing. I often find myself flummoxed by the increasingly creative ways that these companies find to get their message in front of me. […]

The Things Money Can’t Fix Are Often the Ones That Drain Our Finances

Published Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Whenever I find that I’ve made a spending mistake and spent money foolishly, I find that it was some kind of an attempt to use money to fix something that can’t really be fixed by money. I’ll spend unplanned money on hobbies sometimes because I’m frustrated at not being able to give that hobby I care about the time I want to give to it, and a purchase feels like a substitute for that lack of time. […]

You Lost Your Auto Insurance. Now What?

Published Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 09:47 by The Simple Dollar

You get caught driving with a too-high blood alcohol limit, or have a high-speed crash, and your insurance company breaks up with you. Or you received a letter that states your insurance policy will not be renewed when the current term ends. What should you do? Deal with it, and quickly. If you plan to drive, you can’t not have vehicle insurance. […]

Blue Sky Auto Loans Review

Published Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 09:15 by The Simple Dollar

Blue Sky Auto Finance is an online lending platform that connects borrowers with lenders who offer auto loans. […]

RateGenius Auto Loan Refinancing Review

Published Wednesday, May 29, 2019 - 08:57 by The Simple Dollar

RateGenius can help you find affordable auto loan refinancing or lease buyouts with rates as low as 2.99%. The company itself doesn’t actually extend these loans, however. […]

10 Simple Yet Life-Changing Personal Finance Strategies

Published Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

In past years, I gave a series of personal finance talks for local organizations. As my kids got older, I stepped back from doing this, but I still keep my deck of slides fresh with content that lines up with everything I’ve learned about personal finances. Most of my slides are just pictures of my family or of friends or of my home. They feature one, two, or three bolded words on them. […]

Questions About Car Seats, Leftovers, Medical Insurance, Budget Brands, and More!

Published Monday, May 27, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to summaries of five or fewer words. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question. 1. Early or late retirement contributions? 2. Purchases for infrequent use 3. Used car seats? 4. Excessive leftovers 5. Friends want me to spend 6. Value of “one bag” living 7. Buying a house on $35K 8. […]

Tips for Getting a Mortgage

Published Sunday, May 26, 2019 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

Obtaining a mortgage can be one of the most stressful and exhausting parts of the homebuying process. Since the subprime housing crisis and the market crash that kicked off in 2007, mortgage applications and reviews have been more detailed and rigorous than ever, requiring seemingly endless paperwork and extensive income verification. There are also many variables to consider when shopping for a m […]

How Journaling Practices Have Helped My Financial Situation

Published Saturday, May 25, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

I’ve mentioned often on The Simple Dollar how journaling is a daily practice for me and has been off and on (but mostly on) since middle school in various forms. At times, it’s taken the form of simply cataloguing my day; at other times, I’ve written in response to various prompts; today, it’s completely different (and I’ll write about that in a bit). […]