Money Tips Network

Prior to 2008 (when I made the decision to write for a living so that I could have a much more flexible schedule for my family), I held a job in a research lab where I was involved with the processing and sharing of large quantities of scientific data. This required both computer programming skills and scientific skills – not only did I have to know how to manipulate the data, I had to know why I was manipulating it and what answers people would seek.

I was reasonably successful in that position. I received a few professional honors and consistently had stellar employee reviews. I even served on a couple of professional committees that, in all honesty, were probably above my pay grade. I would look around the table and be stunned at the caliber of people who were also there.

My exit from this job was entirely of my own choosing. I’m pretty sure I would still be at that job (or a very similar job) if I didn’t make a personal choice to change direction.

As I discussed recently, I view time management as a key element of personal finance success. A good time management system frees you up to engage in the things in life that you deeply value without the need to “throw money” at the situation.

I use a system that’s largely based on Getting Things Done to manage my time. The system works really well for me, but there are still problems that pop up in terms of using my time effectively that virtually no time management plan can solve. Here are six things that can destroy even the best laid plans – and how I deal with each one.

My family does a pretty decent job of saving money, but we have one big weakness: dining out. We like to visit restaurants and leave the cooking and dishes to someone else. Of course, we know that we could save money by eating at home, so we follow certain rules to make sure we're getting the best value from our restaurant visit. (See also: Best Credit Cards for Dining Out)

The key is to know what's worth ordering and what's worth avoiding due to a high markup. Here are 13 items we try to avoid when we eat out.

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some awesome articles on Depression-era frugal habits you should have, money mistakes to avoid in your 20s, and budget travel tips.

Top 5 Articles

9 Depression-Era Frugal Habits You Need to Pick Up — Using less and reusing items are just a couple Depression-era frugal habits that are good to have. [PopSugar Smart Living]

Money mistakes to avoid in your 20s — Don't make the mistake of keeping up with the Joneses or living on credit cards in your 20s. [Five Cent Nickel]

It is becoming increasingly easier and more popular for people to leave their 9-to-5 jobs and take on a freelancing career. Whether you are a writer, an editor, a social media manager, or a photographer, there are online and mobile apps that you can use to be more productive, make more money, and work more efficiently. (See also: Guide to Freelancing)

Apps for Task Management

The ability to juggle multiple tasks and clients at one time is a freelancer's lifeline. These apps will help you do that for the short-term, the long run, and when you are on-the-go.

This post comes from Chloe Paglia at our partner site Zing.

Dealing with the frigid winter months usually means fantasizing about heading somewhere else for a few days. For college kids particularly, it means dreaming of putting down our books, gathering up our friends and leaving for spring break. Unfortunately, the typical spring break getaway involves paying for expensive airfare and lodging in popular spots like Cancun or Daytona Beach. Not every student has the means to pay for a trip like that every year, especially with all of the other infamous expenses associated with higher education.

Fruits have been on the planet for far longer than refrigerators have been plugged into kitchen wall sockets. So why are many of us inclined to stick all our fruit in this chilly contraption immediately upon returning home from the store? It probably has a little to do with habit and a lot to do with ignorance, in the sweetest sense of the word. (See also: Guide to Choosing Fruits and Veggies)

Despite the fact that we spend about a third of our lives sleeping, we often forget or underestimate the importance of a good mattress when it comes to our health and relaxation. A mattress provides more than just a nice place to sleep; for many, it can help relieve numerous types of body pain and may make the difference on whether you have a good or bad day once you wake up. But what makes a good mattress, you ask? This is where Wise Bread will help you, as we provide our list of the top five mattresses.

What Is a Mattress?

A mattress is essentially a large fabric pad that supports your whole body when you lie down or sleep on a bed. Mattresses come in a large variety of different shapes and sizes.

This post is Wise Bread's contribution to America Saves Week. You can discover more great ways to save on the America Saves Week website.

Anybody who has ditched plans to eat a salad to scarf down a plate of nachos instead (like I did, um, yesterday) can tell you that even though we humans usually know what's best for us, it's sometimes difficult to actually do the right thing.