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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 20)

The Intersection Between Skills and Luck in Your Professional Life (and Elsewhere)

Published Thursday, April 18, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Connie writes in: Liked your article about competence and mastery. Did you see this piece from MIT Tech Review about luck’s role in all of this? I think it would make a good follow up article. You’re absolutely right, Connie. […]

Preparing for a Frugal Road Trip

Published Wednesday, April 17, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Minh writes in: My family (husband and two kids) are going on a very long road trip next weekend. We are moving across the country and our stuff will already be unloaded when we arrive with my sister handling the unloading. […]

10 Lessons from My Well-Worn Winter Coat

Published Tuesday, April 16, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

This past weekend, I put my winter coat away until next November or so. It’s a hardy winter coat, a green Carhartt arctic coat, one that gets me through an Iowa winter where you can have entire weeks where the temperature doesn’t peek above 0 F. […]

Seven Ways to Make Sure You Never Pay an ATM Fee Again

Published Tuesday, April 16, 2019 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

Though carrying around cash is increasingly becoming an outdated habit, there are still times in life when a debit card, credit card, or a digital wallet payment simply won’t suffice. On those occasions when it’s still necessary to withdraw cash from a bank account, whether it’s to tip a service provider or give your child allowance, the last thing you want to do is pay an ATM fee simply to access […]

Affirm Personal Loans Review

Published Monday, April 15, 2019 - 21:23 by The Simple Dollar

Affirm was founded in 2012 with the goal of helping consumers afford big purchases at select retail stores. While you can apply for a personal loan with Affirm through their mobile app, you may also see this option advertised by retailers who want to offer on-the-spot financing for services or products they offer. Should you borrow money with Affirm? […]

PenFed Credit Union Personal Loans Review

Published Monday, April 15, 2019 - 20:05 by The Simple Dollar

Established in 1935, Pentagon Federal Credit Union has come a long way since its humble beginnings. PenFed is currently one of the nation’s most accessible financial institutions with 1.7 million members worldwide and in all 50 states. […]

Questions About Late Taxes, Autographs, Messenger Bags, Retirement Scams, and More!

Published Monday, April 15, 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. Retirement scam 2. Penalty for late filing 3. Wool dryer ball question 4. Unhappy, but with savings 5. Charcoal grills last longer? 6. Old tax paperwork 7. Recommendation for messenger bag 8. […]

Nine Hacks to Double- or Triple-Dip Your Savings

Published Sunday, April 14, 2019 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

A true frugalist just hates to pay retail. Fortunately, that’s rarely necessary. With just a handful of savings tactics, you can cut costs drastically on necessities and nice-to-haves alike. These are some pretty simple savings hacks, made easier by technology. Try one (or all!) to make every dollar work for you – and work hard. 1. […]

Exploring the Connections Between Your Social Life and Your Financial Life

Published Saturday, April 13, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

This is the seventh entry in an eight part series exploring the connections between your finances and other areas of your life. A few weeks ago, I started a series exploring the connections between personal finance and the other “spheres” of my life. […]

Some Hard Questions

Published Friday, April 12, 2019 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

What do I really need in life? What do I need to have a life that’s enjoyable? What do I need to get out of bed in the morning, to feel something positive inside of me? What things am I spending money on that are just giving me bursts of pleasure but not bringing me lasting sources of positive feelings in my life? What things am I spending money on that I actually don’t care about much at all? Wha […]