Earn, Save, and Live Joyfully.
Here we go again…. Back in March I posted a commentary on an article called Men Women + Money. In that posting, I pointed out that women need to become equal partners in financial planning and investing, even if their husband provides the majority of household income. Yesterday MSNBC published an article urging married women … Read more
My Christmas Shopping is nearly complete. I cheated a little bit this year. I chose gifts that could be purchased outside of the mall. I am not a big fan of shopping throughout the holidays. I think it’s because everyone in the mall looks so miserable. The children are dragging their coats and gloves behind, … Read more
In the last two posts I wrote about how financial decisions often involve more than just money. This post is all about those financial decisions I’ve made that were almost entirely about money. Attending a State College I majored in English. I had no reason for majoring in that subject except that it was the … Read more
I thought yesterday’s posting sounded a bit negative and sad, so I thought I’d write a more uplifting posting. Here are a couple of decisions that involve more than just money: Buying an Engagement Ring The engagement ring is a symbol of love between you and your spouse that will last forever. Just about everyone … Read more
I love the comments that readers post on my blog. Yesterday I wrote about paying for car repairs on my old clunker. I mentioned that I sold a 2000 Honda Civic with 36,000 miles for a 1994 Ninety-Eight Oldsmobile with 100,000 miles. An anonymous reader wrote, I don’t understand how it’s frugal to sell a … Read more
Magazine subscriptions are a frugal shoppers friend. Most magazine subscriptions can be purchased for somewhere between $5.00 & $15.00. And of course there is a magazine in existence for just about every person on this planet. Over the years I have bought subscriptions for travelers, gardeners, mothers, health enthusiasts, retirees and food lovers. And the … Read more
Earlier this year I sold my 2000 Honda Civic EX. The Civic had 36,000 miles on it, was in great condition and looked brand new both inside and out. Carmax only offered me $7500 for it, so I put an ad on craigslist and sold it for $9500. I think I could have priced the … Read more
Manufacturers use promotional coupons to lure you into a store you may or may not otherwise shop in. Once inside the store, advertisers know that you will be tempted to buy items that you had not planned on purchasing, but with a little willpower you can use these coupons to obtain something for next to … Read more
My husband writes software for a living and I consider him to be a real nerd, but not in the traditional, anti-social, awkward way. Actually, he’s a friendly guy with a warm heart and contagious personality, something fairly rare in the world of software developers. But working in software has kept money in my husband’s … Read more
Today’s mortgage payment has knocked the remaining principal on our primary mortgage down to $199,807.89. That’s right, as of today, December 1st, 2006, we are waving goodbye to the 200,000 dollar range. We bought our house in August of 2000 for $260,000 and have managed to pay off over $60,000 in mortgage debt since that … Read more