Preparing for a new baby can be expensive. When I was preparing for the birth of my son, I was confused and overwhelmed by the seemingly endless array of baby products that are available. Friends and family wanted me to register for baby shower gifts, and so I did but I really had no idea whether we really needed all of the things that I was picking out. Fortunately, I did a good job of guessing (mostly) and chose things that ended up working well for us. After my son was born, I realized that we had chosen to forego … Continue reading →

Earlier, we talked about finding a financial expert who really speaks your language and who “gets” you and your needs. Well, no one knows you better than you do, right? What better person could you find to trust with all your private information, to keep your best interests at heart, to know what’s important in your life, than you? “But I don’t have a degree in finance,” you might say. “How can I be my own expert?” You are the expert in your life because you are the one living it. You are the only one who knows about those … Continue reading →

Clinton and Stacey are experts in fashion. Millions of viewers tune in to see what we should and should not wear. Dr. Phil is the expert on relationships and fixing our lives. It seems there’s an expert in every field, and we can tune in on a certain day or make a phone call or do an Internet search or send away for a packet filled with information that will change our lives. It doesn’t matter what we want to learn – there’s someone out there to teach it to us. First off, I have to say, this is awesome. … Continue reading →

Here in the Money department, I spend a lot of time talking about budgets and being conservative. But you know what—there are times when you need to spend money, and that’s what I’m focusing on today. Shoes – okay, you can probably get away with a pair of cheap flip-flops from time to time, but you do need to buy some good quality shoes. If you stand at work or you’re a runner or you’re going grocery shopping or doing any other kind of activity that requires you to spend time on a hard concrete floor, you need the support … Continue reading →

I’m not sure exactly when the green movement started, but I remember the celebration of the first Earth Day. It’s only been in my lifetime that we’ve really brought the environment into the forefront of our focus, even though we’ve been encouraged for longer than that to recycle and make the most of the things we have. We’re encouraged to use less water, less electricity, less paper, and to reuse as much as we can. Every day, we hear tips on how to conserve energy and how to preserve these precious resources we’ve been given. Today I got to thinking … Continue reading →

If you have a tight grocery budget, food shopping is a challenge, to say the least. You want to feed your family the most healthful meals that you can, but it seems like the healthier a food is, the more it costs. There are a few ways that you can get fresh, healthy food for your family without breaking the bank. Try the following tips and see whether they can work for your family. If you live somewhere with room for a garden, or even a balcony with room for some potted plants, you may want to try your hand … Continue reading →

Today I went to lunch with some friends at a popular sandwich restaurant. One friend asked for extra turkey, and also some pepperoni. Each add-on increased the price of her sandwich by a dollar, and she expressed surprise when her bill came. The prices were clearly marked on the order board, but she was distracted and hadn’t been paying attention. Restaurants have set prices for certain menu items, and then charge extra for those little specialty items. It’s important that you study the menu or the order board carefully. The extras are sometimes listed at the bottom, or are indicated … Continue reading →

The more you want something, the more you’re willing to pay. Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you can get the item cheaper in a month or by waiting until an after-Christmas sale—if you want it badly enough, you’ll be willing to fork over the dough to get it when you want it. This goes for everything from that latest must-have new gadget to the coolest, cutest new shoes down to the basics like gasoline. Yes, I experienced that myself this very morning. Last month, I had the misfortune of running out of gas (don’t laugh at me – broken gas … Continue reading →

If you are looking for ways to trim your household budget, it might be easiest to start with flexible categories of spending, where you do not spend the exact same amount of money each month. Food is one area of the family budget that is flexible, and also an area that you can improve upon by implementing simple changes. Don’t worry, I am not about to suggest that you eat less, or that you only eat cheap food. I am a foodie, and I know that a “good deal” means more than just the price per pound, it means getting … Continue reading →