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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 56)

I Spent My Emergency Fund: Now What?

Published Tuesday, August 28, 2018 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

In the span of just a few weeks this last month, my husband and I faced over $6,000 in surprise expenses. First, our car broke down and needed a new battery, brakes, and rotors, for a grand total of $1,100. A visit to the orthodontist led to a $2,700 bill to fix my youngest child’s underbite. […]

Questions About Books, Cell Phones, 401(k)s, Private Schools, and More!

Published Monday, August 27, 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. Drawbacks of the library 2. Private school worth it? 3. Credit card for fixing credit 4. Abundance of green beans 5. Struggling with student loans 6. Decent dish towels 7. Tax bracket comparison 8. […]

Millions of Millennials Spend More on Coffee (and Other Things) Than Retirement

Published Monday, August 27, 2018 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

As a millennial personal finance writer, I sometimes find myself aghast at the ways my fellow millennials are spending money. One only has to look at this Refinery 29 ‘Money Diary’ from a 26-year-old to see what I’m talking about. She’s unemployed, yet she pays for cable TV, Netflix, Spotify, a gym membership, and an expensive smartphone plan. Her retirement savings? […]

How Much Do Subscriptions Cost You? Probably More (and Maybe a LOT More) Than You Think

Published Sunday, August 26, 2018 - 08:00 by The Simple Dollar

A new study shows that U.S. residents spend billions of dollars per month on subscription services. Yes, billions. Every month. Individual things like beauty boxes, Netflix, meal services, Amazon Prime, dating apps, and music streaming seem affordable. […]

Defeating FOMO

Published Saturday, August 25, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Two of my closest friends are avid board gamers. They host private game nights at their homes and public game nights at various places in the community all the time. […]

“I’ll Never Catch Up”

Published Friday, August 24, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

It’s a feeling that a lot of us get after we spend our early adulthood not really worrying about our personal finances while some of our peers are actually making great moves. […]

Can You Score Better Travel Deals Using a VPN?

Published Friday, August 24, 2018 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

There’s an endless number of affordable vacation options you can piece together if you’re flexible and want to save some cash. You can sign up for travel credit cards to earn airline miles and hotel points, for example. You can book an inherently frugal vacation option such as a budget cruise or a rental condo on a beach. […]

The Frugal Improvement: 15 Money-Saving Tactics I Ended Up Liking Better, Regardless of Dollars and Cents

Published Thursday, August 23, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

One of the biggest reasons that I still like trying frugal tactics after many years of living a fairly frugal lifestyle is that finding a true “frugal improvement” still feels like a really big win to me. So, what’s a “frugal improvement”? […]

Does It Ever Make Sense to Get a 401(k) Loan?

Published Thursday, August 23, 2018 - 07:00 by The Simple Dollar

No matter how much you loathe borrowing money, there are times when it’s hard to avoid loans and long-term debt. Not everyone can or wants to save up the entire purchase price of a home to live in, for example — and doing so could even be foolish if real estate prices grow as fast as you save. […]

Seven Real Strategies for Back to School Shopping from a Parent of Three School Kids

Published Wednesday, August 22, 2018 - 10:00 by The Simple Dollar

Back to school season is here, with many schools starting classes in August and September after a nice summer break. I have two children going to middle school this year and another going to upper elementary, which means this is my ninth (tenth? […]