savings

Budgeting Tricks for Parents

Being a parent, you may be able to admit (at least to yourself) that you enjoy indulging your children even if it is to the detriment of your budget. Here are some tips to help you

How to Tell if You're on Track for Retirement

It may be a little bit early to think about retirement all too seriously if you still have several decades left before you face it. But don't look now -- time flies and before you

Ask The Readers: To Clip or Not to Clip? (A Chance to Win $10!)

Are you a coupon-clipper? Do you plan on becoming one? Have you shunned the practice out of principle, time, or apathy? Maybe you clip a little here and there, but leave the har

Optimize Your IRA and 401(k)

Your IRA and 401(k) (or 403(b) if you work for a non-profit) are great tools for deferring taxes, and have other advantages as well. But because they're labeled "retirement" accou

Managing Your Short-Term Money

It's easy to find books and articles on how to manage your money to support your long-term goals. You can read a lot about stocks and bonds, retirement accounts, investing in gold

When to Use Savings to Pay Off Debt

One of the most common questions over on the Wise Bread forum is some variation on, "I have $X in savings but $Y in credit card debt. Should I use the savings to pay down the debt?

How Old Were You When You Started Saving? (Answer and Win!)

Share your savings experiences, and be entered to win one of two $10 Amazon Gift Cards and one of 6 prize packs from FeedThePig.org! To enter our Trivia Tuesday giveaway, simply a

Americans' savings rate up to almost 7% - who benefits?

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the personal savings rate in May 2009 was 6.9%. This a 15 year high and a far cry from the negative savings rates of just a few yea

Getting by on a lot less money: 3 ways it's easier than you think

I spent my whole adult life trying to figure out how to get by on a lot less money, because I wanted to be a full-time writer and knew that it wouldn't pay enough to support the li

4 Ways to Win the War Against This Summer’s Electric Bill

Energy increases are common this time of year, and with many families already struggling to pay the utility bills, it can seem more burdensome than ever. There’s no one-size-fits-

Don't let low interest rates make you stupid

When I went off to college in 1977, inflation was high and rising, but the maximum interest rate you could earn on a savings account was capped by the government at a fraction over

Conspicuous Spending: Fading to Black

In the black community and many other communities there is a sense that material possession and flair denotes character, accomplishment and power. It's a poor dad mentality and a

Sam's Club Giving Away a Free Membership and $100 Gift Certificate to One Lucky Wise Bread Reader

The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the savings that small businesses can realize by taking advantage of warehouse deals. Are the savings significant? What can “new memb

Suze Orman Tells Us To Pay ONLY The Minimum On Credit Cards. Wait, What?!

You’re not seeing things. This is not an April Fool’s gag (although if I’d written this last year it would have been). No, this is Suze Orman’s latest advice and it is a complete 1

Retirement accounts and money to spend

Everybody knows that retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs offer great tax advantages (and once upon a time--and maybe again someday--a corporate match). But people who have p

What Does “YMMV” Mean? The Official Guide to Decoding the Language of Frugality

You don’t have to browse the forums at hot savings sites very long to notice that super-shoppers have their own lingo. Before you let terms like “FAR” and “peelies” scare you away

Cash Is King: Now What Should I Do With It?

When the going gets tough, the tough accumulate huge piles of cash. Great. But what do you do with it once you've piled it all up. There are lots of options out there, but which on

The Gettin'-Baptized-in-the-Watah Epiphany

In an average week, an average chunky-blooded professional American could easily spend up to $140 on a combination of drinks that come with meals such as morning coffee, herbal tea

Recession Journal Part II: Broke or Poor?

We must understand fundamentally while some of our exercises in saving go for naught and why when things turn around, we forget our lessons. Unfortunately in America just eat one b

The Piggy Bank: A Secret to Simple Saving

When I was a sophomore in college, my dad gave me a piggy bank for Hanukkah. I couldn't figure it out at first — had my dad forgotten that I was all grown up and didn't need a pigg