Hot Today

Wise Bread articles that are hot today.

Cooking great meals with your car engine. The heat is on.

Ladies, gentlemen, start your engines. But only after you've loaded them up with sausages, chicken, crabs, Cajun shrimp and plenty of vegetables. [more]

The Pros and Cons of Refinancing an Auto Loan

Before you refinance your auto loan, here's what you need to know.

Will high inflation persist?

Every financial calculation that you make is influenced by your expectations for future inflation: how much to borrow, where to put your savings, and whether your last raise was a

51 Uses for Coca-Cola – the Ultimate List

I was trawling the Internet recently searching for a way to remove a grease spot from a favorite shirt of mine. How it got there, well, I blame a faulty fork and not my clumsy mout

Creating a Memorable Christmas

Money isn't what makes a memorable Christmas. Follow these suggestions to help enjoy the holiday, not the stuff associated with it.

Contingency Plans

Are you assuming that things will go along pretty much okay? Most people do, and they're usually right. Even when they're wrong, it tends to be okay, because the typical household'

Eat Dessert, Save!

Are you skipping dessert because it just costs too much, either in money, time, or calories? Skip no more! Read on for ideas to make dessert easy, affordable, and healthier than ev

It's Linktastic!

Thanks to everyone who linked to Wise Bread recently. We appreciate your vote of confidence. [more]

Sayulita, baby!

The products of a frugal honeymoon, or proof that frugality doesn't have to be boring... [more]

How to be happy

A lot of happiness (and unhappiness) comes from within. But there are other things that matter a lot: relationships, doing important work, living your life according to your valu

Frugal Music Options Fade

Those of us petrified of receiving violation letters and threatening lawsuit notices from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) have been long forced to pay unreason

Federal Perkins Loans

Where a Stafford Loan or Parent PLUS Loan is available to just about any college student, a Federal Perkins Loan is only available to students who can expect only a minimal level o

Oh noes! Inflation!

The Wall Street Journal has an opinion piece by Arthur Laffer that shows a scary graph of the monetary base, which has surged enormously in the past year. He suggests that this is

Spot shortages of gasoline?

As long as prices are free to rise, I wouldn't expect much in the way of gasoline shortages--at least not widespread, long-lasting ones. But it's actually pretty easy to produce a

Germ Killin' Machine

Guarding against germs doesn't have to be a chemical-filled experience. To get rid of germs in your kitchen sponge (and there ARE germs in you kitchen sponge), do the following: [more]

It's all your money

Sometimes you get a windfall--a bonus, an award or reward, a gift, a long-forgotten loan unexpectedly repaid. When that happens to you, do you use the money to make a special purc

Real eggs

Have you ever eaten an egg from a chicken that lives outside, eating bugs and worms and grubs instead of just chicken feed? You notice the difference as soon as you crack the she

Coupon Coups

Nothing vindicates a cynic by being proven right and coupons can often be used as a marketing tool for the old bait and switch. Overcome misgivings about coupons by going from coup

6 Negotiation Tips for Introverts

Negotiating comes easily for some, but not all. If you're an introvert struggling to haggle, these tips will help you get what you want.

How to Answer 23 of the Most Common Interview Questions

Here I present 23 interview questions you're likely to be asked, and how I have learned to answer them.