Articles on Personal Finance

Explaining Away the Green M&M

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the company behind M&M’s has decided to let the urban legend run wild. No longer will the impotent and un

Don't rely on credit for your emergency fund

There's a large group of financial advisors who suggest using credit in place of an emergency fund. That way, you can invest your entire portfolio for maximum return (such as

Frugal Tip: Do Not Spend When You Are Sad

Have you ever paid more than you normally would for something when you are trying to cheer yourself up? A recent study showed that a group of people who were sad offered almost fo

Book review: Supercapitalism

For most of the 20th century, capitalism and democracy seemed to go hand-in-hand. After all, every democratic country was largely capitalist and nearly every capitalist country wa

The Pros and Cons of Dollar-Cost Averaging

Having balanced your budget and analyzed your risk, you're now ready to start tackling that "investing" entry on your list of new year's resolutions. But where do

Budget Busters

Every day I read about 60-70 personal finance/frugal living blogs. Through the help of many of our online friends, I have been fortunate enough to put my personal finance position

Six Ways to Stay Warm and Reduce the Heating Bill

Are you paying through your nose  to heat your home this winter? Is your heater broken? Read on for some practical tips to reduce your energy bill and stay warm at the same time.

Should You be Ashamed to be on Public Assistance?

Government assistance such as the Food Stamp Program and cash welfare payments are sticky topics of discussion. What exactly is frugal about us

Use Safe Driving To Save Gas During The Last 6 Weeks Of Winter

The Groundhog predicted that we will have to endure six more weeks of winter. This means more snow, ice, and cold that can reduce your car's efficiency by up to 50%. Fortunatel

Strategies for households with more than one adult

The strategy for households with a single adult can be disposed of in the first paragraph: Earn enough money to buy everything your household consumes, plus provide through direct

UK banks are blocking customers' credit cards. Will the USA be next?

It was bound to happen. I just thought it would happen over here first. Today

Hostels vs Hotels: Choosing the Perfect Place to Stay Within your Budget

Most people think that the frugal way to travel is to stay in hostels. However there are a number of scenarios where that may not be the case. Read on for some tips on how to

Bush's economic stimulus package; What will you get back?

As you’re no doubt aware, President Bush has created an economic stimulus package in the hopes of stalling the impending recession (or if you believe some, depression) that’s on th

Put Together an Advance Directive in an Afternoon

With all the talk about having a will when you die, very few people consider having one for while you’re alive. Living wills, often referred

Save 50% On Your Passport Application?

By 2009, passports will be mandatory for all US citizens traveling abroad. If you were planning a trip to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean, this could mean a rather substantial add

The Quiet Millionaire: Part 7 - Give Me Investment Gains, Hold The Losses

“Win by not losing” or rather win by minimizing losses during market downturns is the ticket to being an investment champion according to The Quiet Millionaire author and Certified

Pay yourself last is okay too

Every book on personal finance says that you should pay yourself first--get the money out of your checking account and you won't even know it's missing. There's a lot o

25 Things I Don't Want to Regret Once I Retire: Take Two

Since posting the first part of my list of 25 ideas and goals that I want to live by and be able to look back on with pride when it comes

How Do You Take Advantage of the Federal Interest Rate Cut?

The Federal Reserve just cut the interest rate by 0.75% between two official meetings! This is the largest cut since 1982 and it was like an adrenaline shot to the sagging stock ma

The Downsizing of an American Dream

I remember the first time my sister’s Barbie went for a ride in her new pink convertible. The trunk was full of new shoes, the coolest outfits,