needs

Here's How a Spending Ban Can Help (and Hurt) You

Finances currently a mess? Hit the reset button with a spending ban. Just be careful not to overdo it.

12 Personal Finance Skills Everyone Should Master

Budgeting and negotiation are just the tip of the iceberg. How many of these critical life and money skills have you mastered?

The Only 6 Rules of Frugal Living You Need to Know

Being frugal isn't a fad, it's a way of life — and a simple one at that. Cut through the clutter to the rules at the heart of frugal living.

25 Products You Think You Need, but Really Don’t

Marketers spend a lot of effort convincing us that our wants are needs. From aftershave to baby walkers, here are 25 things you can easily do without.

Ask the Readers: Is There Anything in Your Budget You Could Live Without?

Tell us if there is anything in your budget you could live without and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

How to Do a Spending Fast in 16 (Easy!) Steps

If you're looking for a way to get out of debt fast, a spending fast might be right for you. Discover this somewhat extreme (but very effective) technique.

Avoiding Aspirational Spending

We've all heard that you should dress for the job you want, not the one you have. But to be a smart shopper, buy for the life you have, not the life you want.

If Budgeting Isn't Fun, You're Doing It Wrong

Budgeting should be fun. If you don't believe me, you've been doing it wrong.

The Many Reasons to Make Do with Less

Why would someone choose to have less than they could? Lots of reasons. There are as many ways to live large as there are people who refuse to think small. Over the time I've be

Needs, wants, and not even wants

Hang around with frugality and simplicity types for any length of time and you'll hear a lot about distinguishing between needs and wants. It's come to me, though, that this issue

Why invest in the stock market?

The conventional reason for investing in the stock market--perhaps offered with a bit less confidence now that we're in the midst of a stock market crash--is, "It offers higher ret

Treat yourself like a child to be more grown up

This post is about repurposing a trick that grown-ups use to manage a child's wants. You know the one. It starts with pointing at a substitute. Then, the grown-up frames one of

Do not buy something just because you can afford it

Since I got married people have been constantly asking me two questions. One is, "are you pregnant yet?", and the other is "are you going to buy a house?" One