Money Tips Network

This article is by staff writer Kristin Wong.

(This is a two-part series. Part I is “Our brains on scarcity: The trap of not having enough.”)

For my last post, I wrote about the book “Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much.” To recap, researchers Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir conducted a series of experiments and found that scarcity — whether it’s a lack of time, money or food — drastically changes our behavior. Here’s how:

• It lowers our cognitive capacity. (We perform worse on intelligence tests.)

• It makes us less polite.

Anyone who has experienced humidity before knows just how uncomfortable and stifling it can be, especially within your own home. But beyond the physical discomfort, many people may be unaware of the effects that humid air can have on their homes, as it can lead to the rapid growth of mildew and mold which can cause further risks to your health and well-being.

This is where a dehumidifier can come in handy since its primary job is to reduce the level of humidity in the air to keep your home nice and comfortable. Wise Bread is here to help you choose the best dehumidifier for your home with our top 5 list.

In yesterday’s post on bargains and baselines, I talked about some of the reason we got an Amazon rewards card, even though we had another one.

This prompted a great question from The Wallet Doctor:

I like your strategy on the Amazon card versus your usually 1% cash back card. I’ve thought about going for deals like that, but I’m always a little nervous about having too many cards. Where do you think you need to draw the line on that sort of specialized strategy?

He’s right about not applying for credit cards indiscriminately.  Applying for a bunch of credit cards usually isn’t the best for your credit score.  The average age of your accounts goes down, and the amount of credit you have available (potentially to abuse) goes up.

It's nice to get out of the rat race.

However, once you hit retirement you have to learn to get along with way less "cheese." With less than half of Americans having ever thought about how much money they need for retirement, it is clear that several people are still clueless about retirement. (See also: This Is the Basic Intro to Having a Retirement Fund That Everyone Needs to Read)

If you consider yourself a know-it-all in retirement matters, here is a list of 12 things about retirement that may shock you.

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some awesome articles on things extremely likeable people do, ways to make money at the bar, and cheaper vacation planning.

Top 5 Articles

16 Things Extremely Likeable People Do — Extremely likeable people tend to take responsibility and make eye contact. [POPSUGAR Smart Living]

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Ethanol Added and Premium Fuels Are a Questionable Bargain

Over the last year, I’ve been keeping careful track of the fuel efficiency of my 2004 Honda Pilot. You know the vehicle – it’s the one I bought off of Craigslist a few years back.

My driving in the vehicle is an almost equal mix of highway driving, interstate driving, and stop-and-go driving in town. The terrain in central Iowa is mostly flat, but there are a few hills here and there. Over the last year, which amounts to the last twenty two fill-ups using a variety of fuels, the vehicle has averaged 19.1 miles per gallon.

This article is by staff writer Kristin Wong.

(This is a two-part series. Part II is “Our brains on scarcity: Breaking out of the trap.”)

I recently discovered the book “Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much.” To be honest, I don’t even remember how I came to find out about the book. Maybe someone recommended it; maybe I read about it somewhere. Lately, I’ve been overwhelmingly busy, and, as a result, my short-term memory is shot.

Coincidentally, that’s what the book is about. Authors/researchers Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir explain how our mental bandwidth changes when we don’t have enough of something — namely, time and money.

We've talked about the fact that your career is your most important financial asset. If you really want to grow it (and your income), and you should, networking is a key skill you'll need to develop. But mixing it up with others can be awkward, especially for those of us who aren't great at small talk.

Luckily, I stumbled upon some help. Fox Business lists eight opening lines to network like a pro. Here they are with my comments on each:

“I just tried a slider from the buffet table, and I think I’m going to grab another. Care to join me?”

I hate that this one is first because it sounds cheesy to me. I don't like/use it personally.