There are ways to go on a trip and not spend any money (or at least not spend much money). I knew it could be done, but I surprised even myself with this latest go at penny pinching.
1. Take a trip on the company dime – or who ever is willing to pay. A couple [...]
The little things can add up quickly. You’ve seen it happen when you forget to write down all of your debit charges and you balance your check book at the end of the month. The balance drops way too fast. The great thing is that little savings here and there can add [...]
Everyone should have an emergency fund of three to six months worth of mandatory expenses set aside – just incase; just incase you lose your job, just incase you get sick, or just incase your husband calls you up out of the blue and says “I quit.”
Building up that kind of fund will not happen [...]
Health Insurance has gotten ridiculous in price. Thirty years ago, what you pay per month is probably about what you would pay per year. For families (or even individuals) who are self-employed, the premiums can cost as much as the mortgage. That’s just wrong. Health Savings Accounts could be the answer to this injustice.
In the [...]
In this day and age it seems that everything is money, money, money. The only thing people ask about your new job is if you are making more money. The only thing that anyone seems focused on with your new house is how much you paid for it. If you’ve completely relocated, most people want [...]
Saving your money doesn’t mean avoiding fun and excitement. There are plenty of things that you can do (yes with a family) that will cost you little or no money.
1. Rent a movie – FROM THE LIBRARY. It’s free and often if they don’t have the movie you are looking for you can request it [...]
Society has designed the system so that you will be in debt for most of your life – all of it if you plan right. The mortgage industry has developed loans that will allow people to borrow more – which have pushed up the price of houses, requiring people to pay more for less house.
It [...]
Just when you think you’ve got it all under control, someone pulls the rug out from under you. There is nothing more frustrating than working hard to balance your finances only to have the unexpected plunge you towards darkness. There are some hard things that you can do when the money squeeze happens unexpectedly (lost [...]
Christmas can be a budget busting experience for one and all. Ten years ago, when we had NO money, we began a tradition that makes the holidays less stressful for all.
1. The first year, we only spend $25 on the child. Each year we add $25 (to cap out at $300). It may not seem [...]
Keeping records is not as easy as I thought it would be. The theory is simple enough, I just don’t do it. I’ve got all the receipts in one place this month (which is definitely a leap forward), but the amounts are being kept a secret until further notice ;).
It’s connected to everything else I [...]