Budgeting & Savings

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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Simple Pleasures Are What Make Life Worth Living

There is so much truth to the expression simple pleasures are what make life worth living. I was cleaning up my house the other day and realized the best things I’ve bought were simple and affordable, and have provided years of entertainment. Here’s my list of simple pleasures: A pair of Hi-tech hiking boots.  Cost:

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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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30 Minutes At Starbucks: Observing Day-to-Day Life

So here I am at Starbucks, testing to see if being here among the bustle of loungers helps gives me writing inspiration. They say it’s good to get out of the house once in a while to recharge the soul. I take the first seat that’s available, and what do I notice? Hanging on the side of

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What Do Retirees Age 65-75 Do Compared To The Rest?

Retiring early is great. I’ve been writing about the FIRE movement since I first published this post in 2009. But what do retirees age 65-75 do that’s so great compared the the rest of us? The Bureau of Labor Statistics & USNWR comes out with an interesting survey that seeks to find out what retirees

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Grab Bag Weekend: The Woman I Love Is So Powerful!

Question: A reader shoots me an e-mail with the subject, “The woman I love is so powerful, how much should I spend on her engagement ring?” I get a lot of emails and can’t answer every single one. But that intriguing subject caught my eye. Buying an engagement ring is a big decision. And I’ve

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Cash For Clunkers = Personal Finance BOMB!

Cash for clunkers was a failure. Let’s discuss the cash for clunkers program in more detail. The latest development in the “Cash For Clunkers” legislation is that it may be extended for one more month until labor day. Under the program, buyers of new cars and trucks can get rebates of $3,500 to $4,500 by

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The Dumpster Of Treasure: Finding Wealth Everywhere

A funny thing happened yesterday when my friend and I were waiting for a space in the club parking lot. We were doing some stretches outside when an old man with a bamboo stick over his shoulder and too medium bags at each end came tiptoeing in. Where in the world was he going, we

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