Money Tips Network

Like the poet William Ross Wallace said, "Every man dies — not every man really lives." So how do you know if you're really living?

Well, you could read up on existentialism or employ a life coach — or you could tackle this bucket list of must-do's that are both frugal and utterly life-changing. (See also: 5 Cheap, Amazing, and Undiscovered Vacation Destinations)

Just reading our round-up of the top 10 is sure to light a fire in your belly.

Not too many years ago, I was a fresh college graduate who was lucky enough to get a job straight out of college during the 2001-2002 economic downturn. I was also primed to make a whole bunch of financial mistakes that, frankly, still negatively affect my life a decade later and will likely have ramifications for the rest of my life.

I wish I could have done things differently, but that’s water under the bridge now. There’s nothing I can do to change the many ways that I messed up back then.

Instead, what I can do is focus on today. I have three children who are growing up faster than I can sometimes believe. I have a surprisingly large audience of readers at this website.

All I can really do is share the things I wish I had understood then.

Note: This article is from J.D. Roth, who founded Get Rich Slowly in 2006. J.D. recently launched the Get Rich Slowly course, a year-long guide on how to master your money. His non-financial writing lives at More Than Money.

Last weekend, Kim and I went out to breakfast. The only other table in the small restaurant was a party of four youngish women who were laughing and having a good time. They were having such a good time, in fact, that it was impossible not to overhear their conversation.

Most people would agree that one of the things they think is most important is the security of their home. But while it's nearly impossible to stop someone that is determined to break into your home, smart steps can be taken in order reduce the likelihood and possibility that someone will. Deadbolt locks are amongst the most common form of door locks, and a good deadbolt can go a long way to keeping would-be robbers out of your home.

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some great articles on the best time to buy a car, online jobs for college students, and Warren Buffet's tips for investing.

Top 5 Articles

The Best Time to Buy a Car — Did you know the best day of the week to buy a car is Sunday? [PopSugar Smart Living]

6 Online Jobs for College Students — For college students looking to make some extra money, Swagbucks and writing blogs are a couple good online options. [Chrisitan PF]

Unless you're watching the home shopping network with a rapid eye for deals, spending night after night in front of the TV ain't saving you any money in a proactive way. So maybe it's time for a little idea inspiration.

Here are 25 frugal things you can do instead of watching TV tonight.

1. Go Thrift Shopping

Who needs more reasons to love thrift shopping? Thrifting can be a real money saver and wildly entertaining. Some shops stay open till 9:00 p.m., so make thrifting part of your prime time lineup.

About once a week, I take a trip to my local library to read up on the latest information about personal finance. I’ll grab current issues of all of the personal finance publications like Money and Kiplingers along with a newspaper or two and whatever personal finance books are on the “new release” shelf. I’ll then camp out at one of the back tables and do some reading.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that most of the time those magazines are simply loaded with articles talking about “hot” investments. The magazines provide giant lists of mutual funds and stocks that have seen a very nice short-term return. The text of those articles make it sound like the readers should be putting all of their money into these funds now, now, now!

I flip directly past these articles and look for something that’s actually useful.

Germs are all around us. In fact, the human body is made up of 100 trillion of them. That's right, you are literally one big walking germ.

For the most part, none of this is need for concern. A healthy adult immune system is equipped with the tools it needs to coexist with the majority of the germs we encounter in daily life. But, yes, there are some germs that have the power to make us sick, and those are the ones worth spending a little time and effort to rid from our lives.

Read on for our round-up of some of the germiest things we keep and fool-proof ways to disinfect them.

1. Bed Pillows

I recently received a GREAT email from an FMF reader that went as follows:

For once a straight shooting article from the mainstream financial press. It basically says people have money problems because:

• They spend too much on housing
• They spend too much on cars
• They spend too much on college

There are other factors, of course, but I agree these are the big ones. The other two that I'd add that nobody wants to touch are: