Unselfish Reasons for an Emergency Fund

Let’s face it, this is a selfish world, and most people are focused on their own needs. So when people talk about the need for an emergency fund, they usually think only about emergencies that would happen to them . They think of lots of emergency situations like the loss of a job, car accidents, … Read more

So Proud of My Coupon Savings…

With the help of some weekly coupons and the Rite Aid circular I managed to save $14.98 on a purchase that would have otherwise cost $24.84. That’s over 60% saved! I bought personal care products, dishwasher detergent, and plastic sandwich bags. On any other day of the week the total would have been $24.84, but … Read more

Chicken for Dinner… Again?

When I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner tonight he said, “hmmm. chicken.” When I mentioned that we could eat burgers or steak his expression looked quite puzzled. In an effort to keep food expenses down we eat a lot of pasta and poultry. Apparently, so much pasta and poultry that he’s forgotten … Read more

Pay off your mortgage last?

A recent article at MSN Money asks the age old question: Should you pay off your mortgage early? In regards to this issue, this article has a little more bite than others. Liz Pulliam Weston, the author, thinks the following items take precedence over paying off your mortgage. Fully funding your retirement Paying off high … Read more

The Drain of Pet Ownership on my Wallet

We have a real problem at my house. One of our cats, (we have two), has been spraying all over our house. We did exactly what the vets told us, got him ‘fixed’ before nine months, didn’t have him de-clawed, kept his food away from his litter, everything, but still the little sucker has decided … Read more

Can Walmart Help Americans Save Money?

Wal-Mart is encouraging 200 million shoppers to save energy, and thus money, through the purchase of energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. In fact, Wal-Mart is determined to sell bulbs to at least 100 million homes. Currently fluorescent bulbs are only utilized by 6% of American homes. If Wal-Mart succeeds: total sales of bulbs in the … Read more

Breaking Down and Tracking 2007 Expenses

My Two Dollars linked to a great article called the ‘Best Money Saving Ideas of All Time.’ After reading the article I’ve decided to take a stab at Money Tip #1: keep a daily log of everything you spend. With the start of the new year I’ll track each and every purchase I make. I … Read more

Women Hanging on for Baby Subsidy

In an effort to increase an otherwise shrinking population the German government introduced a monetary subsidy to encourage working couples to have children. The subsidy worth up to 25,200 euros ($33,470) took effect on January 1, 2007. The new subsidy grants German parents two-thirds of their net monthly salary, up to a maximum of 1,800 … Read more

December Net Worth

After a lot of contemplation I decided to remove the specific details of my net worth that were previously posted here. I enjoyed the comments though… so rather than delete the whole post, I’m just deleting the details.

An Easy Way to Save Money on Pet Supplies

Since my surgery last November, it’s been difficult to lift anything heavy, so I’ve recently decided to start purchasing pet supplies online. After all, trying to lug heavy litter boxes and cans of cat food off the grocery store shelves can be a real pain. This is another one of those examples, where I probably … Read more