Everyone has heard the advice, “It doesn’t hurt to ask.” But my experience has been far better than that. Time and time again, I’ve seen that it often pays to ask. Just by asking, I’ve gotten fees waived, better tables at restaurants, lower prices on newspaper subscriptions, an iPhone 6 for $1 (back when iPhone […]
If your family is anything like mine, your nights and weekends are freer than they’ve been in a long time. Like so many families, we tend to run pretty hard, with each of our kids involved in sports, music, church, or other activities. Now that so much is on hold, I’ve been enjoying the extra […]
Weekly roundup of some of the best personal finance articles from around the web. Actually helpful tips for negotiating salary (Four Pillar Freedom). Being willing to negotiate is the first step (most people aren’t). Once you’ve cleared that hurdle, here are some helpful ideas about how to negotiate. Who’s in your headset? (Krueger & Catalano). […]
There are two general ways that we all spend money. There’s the stuff we buy infrequently, like cars and TVs. And then there’s the stuff we pay for every month, like the water bill and the cable bill. I have a passionate dislike of monthly bills and I try to avoid or minimize them as […]
A weekly roundup of some of the more interesting and helpful personal finance articles I’ve read recently. Adaptation devaluation: Why a U2 concert is better than a new couch (Forbes). Well written article demonstrating that investing in memorable experiences usually pays more happiness dividends than spending on more stuff. How to teach your kids to […]
A weekly roundup of some of the more interesting and helpful personal finance articles I’ve read recently. 4 reasons paying off your mortgage faster isn’t always best move (USA TODAY). Some will bristle at this one (don’t shoot the messenger!), but I have to agree that this isn’t always the best move. 5 salary negotiation […]
A weekly roundup of some of the more interesting and helpful personal finance articles I’ve read recently. How regular investing smooths the market’s ups and downs (NY Times). As a wise person once said, timing the market doesn’t work. It’s your time in the market that counts. To read more about the benefits of investing […]
A weekly roundup of some of the more interesting and helpful personal finance articles I’ve read recently. Do you pass the financial stress test? (Bloomberg). Take a 20-question quiz to find out. The psychology of buying and selling a house (Wall Street Journal). A home is one of the most expensive purchases most of us […]
A weekly roundup of some of the more interesting and helpful personal finance articles I’ve read recently. I used an app to set up my first-ever budget and it changed the way I look at money (Business Insider). Nice first-person account of the benefits of using the most powerful personal finance tool available. Do you […]
I’ve written before that I’m not crazy about the term “frugal.” I prefer the phrase “spending smart.” Maybe it’s because I equate frugality (possibly unfairly, I realize) with always opting for the lowest cost option, when sometimes the more expensive one may prove to be the better long-term choice. Whatever you call it, if you’re […]
