Despite our best efforts to plan and budget, sometimes things happen that throw our families’ finances so far off track that we may wonder whether we will ever be able to meet some of the financial goals that we had set for ourselves. Things like retirement, college educations for the kids, and even home ownership can seem like distant fantasies when times get tough and you are living in survival mode. The good news is that as bleak as things may seem, all is not lost. You do not have to give up on your family’s financial goals. With some … Continue reading →

If you are trying to save money this year, you may be looking for ways to cut your household expenses. If you have not done so already, you may want to think about cutting back on dining out. Dining out is often viewed as an enjoyable thing and a convenient option for those of us that are short on time and would prefer not to use our time cooking or cleaning up the kitchen. The good news is that with a little advance preparation and planning, you can spend relatively little time in the kitchen and enjoy nutritious and tasty … Continue reading →

Tis the season for New Year’s resolutions. For many, the start of 2012 ushers in a fresh commitment to get financial affairs in order. This can take shape in a variety of ways. For example, some people may be inspired to take on another job to pay down debt. Meanwhile, others plan to spend less on necessities, or go cold turkey on impulse buys. For tweens and teens, January is a great time to line-up summer employment. With jobs so hard to come by in this dismal economy, students can no longer wait until May in order to start their … Continue reading →

With only four days left in the year, you may think that there is nothing that you can possibly do short of winning the lottery to put more money in your pocket this year. While this may be true (unless you are expecting a paycheck within the next four days), there are a few quick money – saving moves that you can make now which can bring more money your way soon in the form of a bigger tax return. There is still time to make a tax – deductible charitable donation provided that you charge it to your credit … Continue reading →

If your New Year’s resolution is to cut back on spending, then now is the time to gather tips on how to look for the best deals. After all, spending less doesn’t mean avoiding stores all together. Rather, the goal is to get what you need for the least amount of money. So, how can you accomplish this? Here are some money-saving tips: 1. Look for items in the clearance section. However, don’t buy something just because its price is radically reduced. If you don’t need the item, it’s not a bargain. Instead, you are simply filling your home with … Continue reading →

Whether you are a parent of a college student or you are a student yourself, you know that college is expensive. What you may not know, and what I wish that I knew when I was in college a few years ago, is that there are some things that you can save money on while you are in college which can add up to significant savings. That’s right, you can have more cash left in your pocket or less money borrowed from student loans and other sources if you do a few things a little differently. For example, when you … Continue reading →

Did you know that there are a few things that you would be better off waiting until after Christmas to purchase? Even if you plan to give the items as gifts, the sale prices on these items after the holidays are likely to make you think twice before choosing to grab the item now instead of giving a gift card. For example, if you plan to give someone a television this year and you were unable to score one of the super amazing deals that happened on Black Friday, you can give a gift card in the approximate amount that … Continue reading →

I am sure that you are very busy preparing for the holidays right now. The thought of squeezing any more to – do’s onto your already gigantic list is probably not very appealing right about now. If you are up to it, though, there are a few things that you can do before the end of the year that could save you some money. Many of these things do not take that long, and the money that you could make or save doing them could help to offset the cost of all of those holiday expenses. Since you get one … Continue reading →

Have you ever stopped to think about your funeral? Most people don’t unless we’re at a service for someone else, and then we might comment to our spouse, “Don’t bury me in a coffin like that.” Then we just go on our way without saying much more. But you can save not only hassle, but money, if you take the time to think about it now. My dad passed away eighteen months ago. He and his wife had purchased a package from the local mortuary that included their viewing, caskets, funeral programs, embalming, flowers … the only thing it didn’t … Continue reading →

Yesterday, my husband and I went out shopping for Black Friday. We did not leave the house until almost noon, but we were okay with that. My husband actually went out twice; the first outing was a spur of the moment trip with his brother on Thursday night around ten. His brother had never done the Black Friday thing before, and they had found a couple of items that they were interested in while they were checking out the ads after Thanksgiving dinner. I was still awake, doing my writing work when my husband returned home with just a couple … Continue reading →