Budgeting & Savings

Make Do With Less: Appreciate What You Have And Make The Most Of It

Sometimes you won’t have much. Instead of complaining, make do with less! Appreciate what you have and make the most of it. If you’ve ever traveled around the world with just a backpack, you know what I mean. We really don’t need much to be happy. Adopt a minimalist mindset and you’ll really start to […]

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Book Review And Giveaway: “Secrets Of A Stingy Scoundrel”

Author: Phil Villarreal was a syndicated film critic (one of the best jobs on earth) and is a general reporter for the Arizona Daily Star.  Phil contributes to OK! Magazine and blogs at becauseitoldyouso.com. Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.  244 pages in soft cover.  $12.95. Summary: “Secrets of A Stingy Scoundrel” is a hilarious book that

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The Katana: Help Haiti If You Can 1/17/10

So far over $7 million has been raised to help Haiti by just texting the word “HAITI” to 90999.  You’ll get a confirm receipt from your mobile carrier once sent. Please consider donating! This week on Financial Samurai, we’ll share our thoughts on the latest government rhetoric, highlight a guest post by Flexo, introduce a new

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Book Review & Giveaway: “Your Money Ratios”

Your Money Ratios is a book by Charles Farrell. Your Money Ratios can help you get a better handle on your finances. Publisher: The Penguin Group.  Hard cover. 257-pages. Price: $26. Author: Charles Farrell, JD., LL.M., investment adviser with Northstar Investment Advisors, in Denver. He writes the “Retirement Roadmap” column for CBS Moneywatch. Review: “Your Money

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My SUV Will Beat Up Your Hybrid & Save The World!

My SUV is sweet. Why is it that some hybrid vehicle drivers eventually start looking down at non hybrid-owning drivers in disdain?  Is the “holier-than-thou” complex too hard to contain during flights of fuel sipping passion?  It’s natural to feel that whatever you purchase is the right purchase.  After all, if I overpaid for a

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It’s Been 35 Days Since I Last Spent Any Money On Junk

Alrighty, thank goodness it’s October! It’s now been 35 days since I last spent any money on junk. After declaring September to be frugality month, I’m finally free to splurge on as much junk as I want! Was it painful for a recovering spendaholic to not buy anything other than food for a whole month? Damn straight it

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Family Gets Award For Paying Off Debt & Jumps Right Back In!

Paying off debt should be straight forward. Yet so many people fail to pay off their debts? If you go $106,000 into personal debt, and pay it off in 5 years, you apparently get the Professional Achievement and Counseling Excellence (PACE) 2009 Graduate Client of the Year Award. I was hoping for a longer award name,

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Get Rich In September & Buy Nothing!

I declare September frugality month. If I’ve learned anything from my 20+ years working, it’s that September and October are generally dicey months for people’s fortunes. September has historically been the worst performing month for stocks on average since 1950. 9/11 wasn’t good, neither was September 15, 2008 when Lehman declared bankruptcy. The expression, “Sell In

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