Money Tips Network

When people talk about saving money, DIY is one of the first things that comes to mind.

• Learn how to fix things around the house!
• Change the oil in your Prius!
• Make your own cleaning supplies!

Do all of this (and more) and you could save hundreds of dollars a year.

And that’s great. I know lots of folks that enjoy growing a lush garden resulting in delicious produce (that can be canned or frozen) in due season. There are people in my life that find doing laundry calming, and others that will happily take on any domestic project that comes their way. Personally, I enjoy doing the dishes.

While I’m happy spending time on the things that I like, there are certain things that I hate doing — and that I will happily outsource to others.

What would you do if you had a million dollars?

This question seems to come up regularly as a conversation starter. I’ve found that the answers tend to fall into two groups.

In one group, you tend to have answers that involve radical life changes. That person would just move to another part of the world or go on a bunch of vacations or buy a ridiculously expensive home.

In another group, you have answers that involve financial security. That person would pay off debts, maybe buy a modest home or a reasonable car, and put the rest away for big future goals.

You might see a mix of the two, where the radical life change person does pay off credit card debt first or the financial security person does go on a great vacation, but most of their planning centers around their main objective. It’s either radical life changes or financial security, and it’s pretty clear which one is the focus.

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This week's topic: Keeping Graduation Season Frugal! Learn about saving on attire, travel, gifts, and more!

A few weeks ago, I found myself in a situation where I was really hungry but there weren’t many food options around. I decided to keep my costs as low as possible, so I went into the only restaurant I could find, a nice little diner. I want to be clear during this article that I am not picking on this diner. It was a nice place to eat, the service was good, the food was good, and I was happy with it.

At the diner, I ordered an extremely simple breakfast. I had a cup of coffee, some scrambled eggs, some fried potatoes, and two pieces of toast. The total bill was about $10 – really, not that bad – and then I left a $2 tip, so the cost was $12.

“Everyone can perform magic, everyone can reach his goals, if he is able to think, if he is able to wait, if he is able to fast.” — Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse

My high school English teacher passed away several years ago. Before he passed, I had the chance to tell him that he had a profound impact on my life. After all, I write for a living, and it was his teaching more than anything else that enabled me to write reasonably good material fairly quickly, which led me to where I’m at now.

Going back to school as an adult may not have appealed when you in school, but there are many good reasons to do it.

The cognitive bias known as anchoring gets a bad rap. This universal mental accounting quirk causes us to rely on the first piece of information we hear to make decisions.

Purchasing your first home can be an overwhelming process, one fraught with emotion and a seemingly endless stream of paperwork and documentation.

For many people, a home is the most significant purchase of a lifetime, making it even more critical to protect this investment with a thoughtfully chosen homeowners insurance policy.

While homeowners insurance isn’t mandated by law the way car insurance often is, most mortgage lenders require that a policy be in place before closing on the home.

But how is one to weed through the myriad options available, obtain a reasonable price, and find a reliable company? We asked industry experts to weigh in.

Shop around, and start early.

First and foremost, it’s important to shop around. And start doing so early in the home buying process, not at the last minute.

While U.S. Bank was founded back in 1863, they have grown to become one of the largest financial institutions in the United States. The bank, which boasts over 3,000 locations across the country, reported having 74,000 employees as well as over $467 billion in assets as of late 2018.

U.S. Bank is known for their checking and savings accounts, credit card products, mortgage and home equity loan products, and personal loans. However, U.S. Bank also offers affordable auto loans for consumers who want to purchase a car or refinance an auto loan they already have.