Articles on Personal Finance

Welcome to Container City - How Shipping Containers Are Recycled into Green Dwellings

At any port you can probably see hundreds to thousands of empty shipping containers just sitting around waiting to be loaded. In recent times these containers have not only transp

Self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and freedom

Self-sufficiency is producing the actual stuff you use--your own food, your own clothes, etc. It's not a common lifestyle. Most people chose instead to follow the path of self-re

There are Cheaper Ways to Return to a Greener Earth

The web is full of ways to live green, but have you ever thought about being Earth-friendly in your death? While it’s not always pleasant to think about, maybe we should. If you

Is Social Security Just A Grand Ponzi Scheme?

I received my Social Security statement this week and it was a useless piece of paper to me since I do not qualify for retirement benefits yet. I always hear critics of Social Sec

Does living frugally hurt the economy?

When I advocate for frugal living, people sometimes ask, "What if everybody lived like that?  Wouldn't it hurt the economy?"  My natural inclination toward frugal liv

What if energy costs keep rising?

Recession or not, I think the medium-term trend in energy costs is up.  Just in case I'm right, you ought to have plan for that.

Book Review: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Financial Aid for College (Second Edition)

You don’t have to be a complete idiot to need a little guidance in matters of finding and securing money for college. But just in case you are,

How Big of a House Do You Really Need?

For my entire life, I have never lived in a place bigger than 1400 square feet. The smallest dwelling I had was a studio less than 400 square feet which I shared with my parents.

The Gas Tax Holiday; don’t fall for it.

Both John McCain and Hillary Clinton are proposing a new Gas Tax Holiday that will run during the summer months, bringing “much needed relief” at the pumps. But will it? More than

The ethics of hoarding

In the Philippines, they're threatening life sentences for people hoarding rice.   In the United States, grocers need to put limits on rice purchases just to keep their shelves

Wanna Put Away Some Cash? Take A Vacation!

A cruise to the Bahamas or a trip to that luxury spa aren’t going to get you ahead financially. However, if you’re looking to sock away a coupl

The Gasoline Pump "Y2K" Problem

Here in San Mateo County, many gas stations are starting to sport prices above $4.00 per gallon. The trusty Gas and Shop down the street is still holding on to $3.93 per ga

To Tax or Not To Tax: That Is The Money Market Question

As America’s love affair with self-investing continues to grow, so does our fascination with tax-free accounts. Don’t believe me? See for yourself.

I Bond rates go to zero

Since 1998, the US Treasury has had a pretty good deal for small savers who were worried about inflation--the Series I Savings Bond.  The interest it paid was based on inflation pl

What Would You Do: Pay Now or Pay Later?

Play financial adviser and tell me how you would handle a deferred preschool tuition payment. Put it all on the credit card for a large cashback reward, or enjoy the opportunity to

New Postal Rates Are Coming, Should You Stockpile the Forever Stamp?

The United States Postal Office will be raising their postal rates once again on May 12th, 2008. Is it time to stock up on the Forever stamp? Is this stamp that retains its value

Book review: Cash-Rich Retirement

Do you need a kick in the pants to get you saving for retirement?  Do you need someone to wave their arms and run around screaming that your whole future is at risk, in order to mo

Laid Off? What To Do Before Plunging Into The Job Search

Your company has announced a soon-to-come layoff or you’ve been escorted out of the door. What’s next? What should you do…before updating your résumé, tapping into your professiona

Budgeting in a time of inflation

My very first experience running a household was in 1980, just as the last big inflation was spiking up over 10%.  My carefully constructed budget was completely destroyed by price

A Simple Guide to Series I Savings Bonds (I-Bonds)

After the recent interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve many of my bank and money market interest rates plummeted.  Now the best yield I have is on my Series I Savings Bonds iss