Money for the Rest of Us

You are browsing the archives of 2007.

This time of year we’re bombarded by: “Buy, Buy, Buy” along with “Give, Give, Give”. There is much talk about Black Friday, and many links to Amazon gifts we recommend. Even in the non profit world end of the year appeal letters are being sent by every nonprofit in the universe. And I wholeheartedly encourage [...]

If you had to pay 5 cents for a bag would you bring your own or carry your items bag-less instead? If you shop at Ikea, you will now be paying for using a bag. I went this last weekend and was pleased to see their new policy of charging 5 cents per bag. (I [...]

Electricity is expensive, and little things, such as light bulbs, can make a huge difference in your bill. Well, how about your coffee maker? It turns out that your coffee maker may be costing you a lot of money. I got an email from a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend [...]

We had a lot of great posts in this week’s Festival of Frugality. I was surprised at the number of submissions that were somehow related to food. So, grab a spoon and dig in! Editor’s Picks Golbguru presents Motivation For Frugality – It Is Not Always About The Money posted at Money, Matter, and More [...]

Ask the Advisor put together a list of 17 Important Financial Tips for Women.  It’s a great comprehensive list. The one tip I would add is “Take Care of Yourself.”  So many women get married or have a partner that they believe they can count on for the rest of their lives.  The sad truth [...]

This week we took the dog to the vet because we thought she was beginning to get arthritis (she’s 12) because of some trouble she’s had walking. To make a long story a little shorter—the vet found some swelling in a lymph node and wanted to run blood tests because leukemia can be the cause [...]

I’ve got a dilemma- we are moving in just under a month and in preparing for the move across town I am updating our renter’s insurance. I am down to a choice between two companies—USAA and State Farm. For the last two years we have used State Farm Insurance and paid about $160/year for a [...]

Lately I’ve been experimenting with ways to make some of my favorite foods more cheaply. One snack I particularly enjoy is chips and guacamole. However, I don’t eat chips frequently enough to justify buying an entire bag. (Plus, they’re just not very good for you.) Thus, I’ve started making my own homemade tortilla chips. It’s [...]

I’ve been thinking lately that Personal Finance Bloggers must be control freaks. Who else would spend so much time thinking about money? Who else would bother to create elaborate budgets? Who else would meticulously count every cent they earn, spend, and save? Who else would not only do these things, but then write about them? [...]

I’m a big fan of HSBC’s online high-interest savings account. In part because there is an ATM right near where I work which makes for easy (and fast) transfers. Today, I was walking by my local HSBC and there was a table outside. I was curious and so I stopped and chatted. Turns out they [...]