Money Tips Network

This article is by staff writer Honey Smith.

In November, we thought we’d reached the last straw in terms of the condo we have been renting. We’d had numerous problems with our place and our landlord (namely, not fixing things when they broke — major or minor). However we ultimately decided that, although the right choice wasn’t obvious, there were too many aspects of our lives up in the air to move at that moment.

Then, on December 30, our landlord told us that they weren’t going to be able to refinance our property. The condo we live in was going into foreclosure. The auction was scheduled for December 31.

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking, "I'll be happy when..."

You know, "I'll be happy when I can own my own home," or "I'll be happy when I can buy a new car/afford nicer clothes/replace this cludgy old desktop." Even people who aren't focused on gaining possessions tend to fall into this kind of thinking, only for them it can sound like, "I'll be happy when I get a promotion," or "I'll be happy when I have kids/feel better/have more free time." (See also: Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Happier)

I used to be somewhat of a gym rat. And by that, I mean I used to have a lot more expendable income and free time on my hands. These days, I have to be more creative because these things — time and money — are at a premium.

I haven't had a gym membership in a while and fully admit working out at home can be difficult motivation-wise. I still have my struggles. However, with some planning and a few handy tips, you can enjoy gym-quality workouts for free — often without leaving the comfort of your living room! (See also: 10 Exercises to Do at Work)

Just about everyone is interested in ways to save money — some of us more than others. For many, pinching pennies is the only way to get through the month and cover the essentials, such as electricity and food. (See also: 101 Ways to Save Around the House)

Although most people are familiar with obvious money saving techniques, such as cooking their own food and shopping less, these aren't the only ways to be frugal.

Think outside the box, and you'll discover a variety of clever, and sometimes extreme, ways to hold onto your cash.

Smartphones have just about become a necessity in our daily lives. With the big manufacturers releasing a better, faster, more powerful handset nearly every year, consumers shell out a fortune to keep up with the Joneses. The marketing strategists behind tech giants like Apple and Samsung invest heavily to ensure their latest devices are ogled for their sexy design and performance prowess. But in an age where innovation is king, handsets rarely retain their initial appeal. There is good news, however. You don't have to commit to a soul-crushing contract or pay a fortune to enjoy a fantastic mobile experience. Here are five affordable alternatives to those pricey smartphones. (See also: 5 Great Smartphones)

As I mentioned recently, Sarah and I have noticed how our children’s relationship with their allowance has changed over the years.

When we first started giving them an allowance, we used a simple strategy where they split their money up among several items – investing, charity, saving for a goal, and free spending. We only required that they give a small portion to each slot, with the remainder divided up however they wanted.

They really enjoyed this at first. They got into the idea of setting goals. They enjoyed splitting their money up among different bank slots. Each week, they were really excited about their allowance.

Our goal was simple: we simply wanted them to become familiar with the basics of budgeting and saving and consider them “normal.”

Note: This article is from J.D. Roth, who founded Get Rich Slowly in 2006. J.D.’s non-financial writing can be found at More Than Money, where he recently wrote about how to be happy.

It was sunny last Friday afternoon, so I decided to go for a ride. Because Kim has been riding motorcycles all her life, I took a training class last August and now own a used Honda Rebel. When the weather’s nice in Portland, I like to do my errands on the bike so that I build skills and confidence.

Each week, I highlight ten things each week that inspired me to greater financial, personal, and professional success. Hopefully, they will inspire you as well.

1. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry on relationships and risk

“Of course I’ll hurt you. Of course you’ll hurt me. Of course we will hurt each other. But this is the very condition of existence. To become spring, means accepting the risk of winter. To become presence, means accepting the risk of absence.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

All relationships contain some risk. That’s the nature of opening yourself to someone else. The reward, on the whole, makes the risk worthwhile.

2. Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly on courage

This is a short interview that’s really well worth watching.

3. Mark Twain on loneliness

The idea of “price per unit” is a pretty useful one to have when you’re shopping for goods. It’s a simple idea that many of us know about, but it never hurts to break it down again for new readers.

When you’re at the grocery store and you’re considering items, you’ll compare a lot of things – the item’s brand, the price, and the number of items in the package. Often, you’ll settle on a particular brand or two pretty quickly, which leaves you worrying only about variations between price and number of items in the package. Which one should you buy?

The best bargain in this situation is (usually) the one with the lowest “price per unit.” In other words, you figure out how many “units” are in each package, then divide the price of the package by the number of units.