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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 51)

Dosh App Review: Use Your Smartphone to Double Dip With Cash-Back Rewards

Published Friday, September 28, 2018 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

Millions of people use rewards credit cards for regular spending and recurring bills with the goal of racking up cash-back or travel rewards. […]

Financial Success Isn’t ‘Impossible’

Published Thursday, September 27, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

I grew up in a family with little money. My parents did the absolute best they could with what little money they had, but they never had a lot of money to go around. […]

Is It Smarter to Use a Debit Card or Credit Card?

Published Thursday, September 27, 2018 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

Although they may look exactly alike tucked away inside of your wallet, credit cards and debit cards represent two very different types of payment methods. Using a debit card is similar to paying with cash or an old fashioned paper check. […]

The Spiral of Improving Yourself, Your Money, and Your Life

Published Wednesday, September 26, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Let’s see if this story sounds familiar to you. You realize your financial life is in a shambles, so you dive intensely into frugality for a while. You pay off a few bills, get your head above water, and then you realize that some of the frugal strategies you’ve adopted are pretty constricting and rubbing you the wrong way. […]

Give Me the Goods: Why I Value Things Over Experiences

Published Wednesday, September 26, 2018 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

I’ve previously talked about how much I love the money-saving practice of self-massage. That being the case, I recently decided to treat myself by purchasing a top-of-the-line handheld vibrating massage tool. […]

This Week

Published Tuesday, September 25, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

What will this week be like for you? Will it be an ordinary week at work, with the normal routines? Maybe you’re retired and this will be a week like any other, with the usual tasks to be done. Will it be an ordinary week? Or an extraordinary one? This week, you could change your entire financial direction. […]

Do You Need a Slush Fund? Four Reasons to Set Aside Some Fun Money

Published Tuesday, September 25, 2018 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

Earlier this month, I splurged on a luxury I have mulled over for years. I took a Nancy Noel angel print, signed and dated, and paid to have it framed professionally. I bought this print directly from the artist several years ago, and it’s my absolute favorite. […]

Questions About Trade Schools, Calorie Counting, 403(b) Cancellation, and More!

Published Monday, September 24, 2018 - 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. “Snow bird” planning 2. Midlife fork in the road 3. 403(b) ending 4. Trade school issue 5. State income tax challenges 6. Counting calories 7. Bio-enzymes in homemade cleaning recipes 8. […]

Nine Secret Weapons That Could Save Millennials’ Finances

Published Monday, September 24, 2018 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

(This is the second post in a two-part series, the counterpoint to yesterday’s article, “Seven Headwinds Threatening to Capsize Millennial Finances.”)  The millennial generation is associated with a boatload of financial woe, including but not limited to student loans, jobs that don’t pay enough, and the threat of being replaced by robots. Cheer up, folks. […]

Seven Headwinds Threatening to Capsize Millennials’ Finances

Published Sunday, September 23, 2018 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

(This is the first of a two-part series.) We hear a lot about millennials and money these days. They’re chronically stressed about finances. They have a negative savings rate. They’re slammed with student debt repayment and aren’t earning enough or aren’t earning at all. They spend more on coffee than retirement. The news isn’t always bad. […]