Scammers Show the Way to Savings
When Sid Kirchheimer decided to write about smarter spending, he turned to an unusual source: “reformed scammers.” The resulting book, “Scam Proof Your Life”:http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=as2&path=ASIN/1402730411&tag=wwwfinancia00-20&camp=1789&creative=9325, includes money-saving insights from an assortment of former con artists and other schemers. It also includes honest insiders’ tips on how to get better deals on everything from homes to healthcare. […]
Majoring in Debt
An _MSNBC_ article on 8/11 highlighted the trouble many college kids get themselves into after signing up for their first credit card at college
The Second-Biggest “Holiday”
The start of a new school year may not seem like a holiday to school kids, but for retailers the back-to-school shopping season, now in full swing, is the second biggest
Is That Five-Dollar Tomato Worth It?
Organic products, once limited to specialty food stores, have become mainstream. With so many products now labeled as organic, and especially because of their higher prices, it’s important to know which ones are worth the extra cost. A New York Times article on 7/29 cited a that helps shoppers make informed choices. The study recommends […]
The Piggy Bank Balance Transfer
Banks and other financial institutions are going after kids’ lemonade stand money. According to an article in the 7/29-30 issue of the Wall Street Journal, many financial service providers are offering everything from stick-on tattoos to iPods to entice kids to bank with them. And they’re offering more than just passbook savings accounts. Today, kids […]
Lessons Learned on a Spending Sabbatical
Many people complain about the “consumer treadmill,” but few are willing to actually step off. An article on MSN recently profiled someone who did. Judith Levine spent a year buying only essentials—no movies, no restaurant meals, no ice cream. While her spending sabbatical enabled her to pay off nearly $8,000 in credit card debt, she […]
When Filling Up Taps You Out
With fuel prices at record highs, filling the gas tank is starting to feel more like an investment than an expense. For some ideas on how to save on gas, a 7/26 posting on Businessweek Online said the most important steps are all pretty simple: keep our tires properly inflated, accelerate and brake gently, slow […]
Defending the Castle
Whoever came up with the phrase, “Our home is our castle,” probably didn’t have the typical split-level in mind. However, even if our dwelling lacks a protective moat, there’s a lot we can do to make our homes more fortress-like, at least on paper. According to a story posted on _CNNMoney.com_ on 7/14, it’s a […]
Cash Is So Yesterday
Amid growing interest in removing the lowly penny from circulation, there’s a much bigger trend taking shape in the world of money—the move toward a completely cashless society. While plastic (credit cards and debit cards) is now a more frequent form of retail payment than cash, the latest type of credit cards are aiming to […]
Light Up Some Savings
Speaking of saving on utility bills, one simple way to do that while helping the environment at the same time is to switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). According to the July issue of _Real Simple_, while CFLs cost more than regular bulbs, they use 70% less energy and last more than 10 times […]