Money Tips Network

As many of you know, I’m constantly trying out little lifestyle changes and tweaks just to see if they’re something that actually saves money and if they’re something that integrates well into my life.

I’ll usually try out these tactics for a while and then do my best to assess whether or not it’s actually saving me money and whether or not it’s affecting my life in a positive or negative (or neutral) way.

Let’s get one thing out of the way right now: I have no interest in being miserable just to be cheap. For me, the ideal frugal tactic is one that doesn’t alter my lifestyle in a way that makes me uncomfortable, but it does save me money. That’s what this list is all about – simple money hacks that have added up to genuine savings over the years without introducing much “negative” to my life at all.

Defining “Simple”

What do I mean by “simple” here?

Throw pillows, new paint, and colorful flowers can revamp a room quickly and cheaply. Photo: Wicker Paradise

You pull into your driveway, glance at the yard, and a wave of disgust sweeps over you. The yard is a mess and you can’t stand to look at it another day.

And that’s just the beginning. A tap of the garage clicker reveals a cluttered chasm of chaos, and quickly reminds you why you’re forced to park in the rain and parade your way to the front door. To make matters worse, the interior of your home isn’t much better. You’re bored with the layout and tired of the décor, and prefer to spend more time away from home than inside of it.

You're working long hours, taking care of your family, and trying to keep up with your friends.

Most of your friends may even call you superhuman.

Do you like to be teased?

If you’re seven, probably not.  If you’re twenty-seven and with your spouse or significant other … well, I’ll leave you two alone.

Like everything else, it depends completely on the context.  And though businesses don’t tease the way a couple of love birds would, they do sweeten the pot a bit to encourage you to pull out your credit card.

Simple Financial Lifestyle (follow him on Twitter) wrote recently about financial teasers.  Although the title says “NO!” the rest of the article says, “Weeelll, let me think about it.”  And that’s a great way to approach these kinds of extraordinary offers.

The tease just isn’t that teasy after a while

Are you having a hard time finding out what the best student loans are? You might also be wondering how to nab the best student loan rates. You’re not alone if you think figuring out how you’ll pay for college is a stressful, complicated process.

In this article, I’ll summarize federal student loans and private student loans, discuss whether private student loans make sense, and tackle how to get started in your search for the best student loans.

If you already know you’re in the market for private loans, a site like SimpleTuition can ease your search for the best private student loans by letting you directly compare loans and interest rates from different lenders. Just a few minutes and a minimum amount of personal information will generate a number of options.

Ditching the 9-to-5 routine can be incredibly rewarding, but be sure you’re financially prepared to take the leap. Photo: Julie Jordan Scott

For years, I sat behind a desk crunching numbers, analyzing spending trends, validating financial transactions and generating reports. (Sound exciting?) Although the day-to-day routine bored me out of my mind, I did what most logical people would do and sucked it up. After all, the money was good and I worked with a decent group of people, so it definitely wasn’t the appropriate time to rock the boat.

Naked With Cash is an ongoing series at Consumerism Commentary in which readers share their households’ finances with other readers. These participants benefit from the accountability that comes from tracking their finances publicly and the feedback of the four expert Certified Financial Planners (CFPs).

For more information, read this introduction.

Professional football players are among the highest-paid people in America, and yet the story of the bankrupt NFL retiree is so common it's become a stereotype.

Several months ago, I had a wonderful evening with my six year old daughter where we spent more than an hour (up until bedtime) in the backyard under the night sky, looking up at the stars. We talked about how big the universe is. We talked about how most of the dots in the sky are stars but a few are planets and some are whole galaxies. We identified a few constellations – the ones I could remember from my own astronomy “phase” as a kid and a few more I could identify quickly using my smartphone as an aid. We identified the Milky Way and talked about our own galaxy.

More than anything, though, we just enjoyed staring up at the majesty of the night sky together.