Money Tips Network

While the best things in life are always free, so is lots of other stuff. If you want to find some extra money in your budget, stop paying for things you could get for nothing.

With only 140 characters,  I have become very frugal with words. Please follow me on Twitter -  @frugalduchess.

BTW, I am now researching a  nonfiction book about Athletes and Mental Health. Watch this space for more details. Thanks, Sharon

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Here's how to buy my book:

Outdoor maintenance can pay for itself – especially if you get free supplies! Touch-up paint and landscaping can build curb appeal if you're looking to sell, while sealing and pest control can keep the bills down.

Two months ago something slightly interesting happened:

My wife gave birth to our healthy baby daughter.

The funny part was we were wholly unprepared for having our daughter on that particular day (but lets face it, estimates are estimates). On that Tuesday morning, we were at the doctor’s office for my wife’s weekly checkup (she was already estimated to due a week ago), when the doctor handed us the admittance order to the hospital.

“Yep. You’re 3-4cm dilated. You can head to the hospital now.”

“Uh, come again?”

And the only thing the both of us could think of at that time, as we head towards the hospital, was that we forgot to eat breakfast that morning. Luckily I’ve been traveling around with the overnight bag in the trunk of the car since forever, so I was able to munch on some much needed calories while the wife went on a liquid diet order immediately upon arrival at the hospital (sucks for her).

Whether it's adding a bath or remodeling the kitchen, here's how to find materials for a fraction of the price at big-box home improvement stores, hire the right contractor at the right price, and get that project done for less.

So its April 17th and you’re doing your taxes the very last minute. Good news, you just got an email or text from Intuit saying your e-file was REJECTED.

Fudge?

I just experienced this problem over the weekend and the annoying part was that neither TurboTax nor IRS has very clear instruction on this particular situation. I used the AGI method to verify my e-file identity. I have my exact 2010 1040 tax return on the table and I’m reading line 37 correctly, I even double checked if there was a fat finger mistake but still the e-file return was rejected, what gives?

Last week, I went to my local mall for the first time in many months (or was it years?). As I strolled around, taking in the sights and the bustle of our consumerist Mecca, I couldn’t help but notice all the sales I saw advertised at every major clothing retailer. JCrew and Anthropologie had multiple racks with deeply discounted items. Brooks Brothers and Macy’s had a 40% and 25% sale on every piece of clothing in the store, respectively (yes this is exactly how I shop, I take notes of discounts for future blog post that will never be written). The more I walked the more I realized that there were considerable “sales” all around me.

There's a lot to get worked up about in our daily lives, and some people wind down in expensive ways, like wining and dining. But cooling off doesn't mean you have to stress out your budget.

Stashing money under a mattress is so cliche – but sometimes cliches have a kernel of good advice. You should keep a cache of cash around the house. But where?