Save Money
The Insanity of Long-Term Car Loans
It has been reported that 7 and 8 year car loans are becoming the norm. This isn’t surprising, when you consider that the cost for a new mid-size family car, mini-van, hybrid, or small SUV can easily be $25,000, and it is not uncommon that if nice features are added they can easily cost $30,000 – [...]
Extended Warrantees and Buyer Protection Plans
Is buying extended warranties a good idea? Sometimes they are called buyer protection plans too. The general consensus from almost all financial planners, writers and personal finance personalities like Dave Ramsey and Susan Orman is that they are a rip-off.
Most products come with some sort of [...]
Car Power Plants Reviewed: Electric, Hybrid, Gasoline and Others
Have you thought about buying an all-electric vehicle, or hybrid with the costs of gasoline being so high. Maybe you are ecologically minded, and think electric power is better for the environment. Before you run out and buy an alternative fuel car, I thought it would be good to cover the [...]
Save Big on Hanes
Average quality, 100% cotton underwear seems to have really gotten expensive the last few years. While shopping for just basic plain white T-shirts we were amazed that a packet of 5 costs $34 at Sears and Kohls. Sometimes you can find where they are throwing in a extra shirt or briefs so you get 6 [...]
The Low Hormone Rip-Off
Radio and Television is awash with silly advertisements aimed at anyone in their 40′s or older, to get you to buy supplements to counter the affect of lower hormones as we age. The ads ask if you are fatigued, depressed, low sex drive, gaining weight or generally have a feeling of malaise. These [...]
Costco Cost Savings and Warnings
Big Box retailers like Sam’s Club and Costco can sometimes save you a lot of money, but if you aren’t careful you can end up spending more money than you planned to. I suspect most people do go over budget at these places.
We are avid coupon clippers and deal shoppers, and often our receipt from [...]
Homeowner Who Foreclosed, Other Personal Finance Headlines
Interesting articles worth checking out: Homeowners qualifying for new mortgage after short sale. Auto purchasing and the various fine print costly add-ons. Estate planning: Naming a trustee for your trust, and living wills. Roth IRA escape hatch, for those that already converted, but now regret [...]
Eye Glass Monopoly Ripoff?
60 Minutes ran a piece last Sunday night about a near monopoly on a eye glass company. The story highlighted the largest company in the industry Luxottica, they severely inflate the cost we pay for eye-wear for corporate profits. Eye glasses and frames only cost the manufacturer about $30 but our [...]
Is Black Friday the Best Time to Shop?
I ran across a great article in the Wall Street Journal today, The Myth of the Black Friday Deal compared prices of certain items over the term of a year, and many items actually cost more during the Holiday season than during other times. People lining up to buy ‘door busters’ of limited quantity [...]
Free Fun Idea, Free Museum Admission 9/29/12
Bargaineering.com had a great post for those that are looking for something fun and free to do this weekend.
Smithsonian Magazine Sponsors Free Museum Day
by Jim Wang
Museum Day Live! is an annual event hosted by Smithsonian Magazine where you can get admission into participating museums across the [...]
How to Sell Your Scrap Gold
The price of gold is climbing again to about $1,800 per ounce, close to its all time high of $1,895 on 9/6/11, so many people are thinking about selling their old gold jewelry they have lying around. If you are interested in selling yours, here are a few tips to help you get the most for it.
24 [...]
Low Cost Hearing Aid Solutions
Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal had an interesting article about some lower cost alternatives for people with hearing loss. Some people can’t afford FDA approved hearing aids, since they often cost up to $4,000 a pair; often insurance doesn’t pay for them either. According to the article, 20% of 36 [...]
Annual Cost of Gasoline
With gasoline hitting or exceeding $4 per gallon in many parts of the country, it is important to consider your annual cost of gas when purchasing a new or used car. In 2009 gas was less than $2 per gallon, and it seems that we have gotten used to the current costs. With the price of groceries and [...]
Best and Worst Fitness Values
Investing in physical fitness is smart, being in better health not only means feeling better, and having less stress, it saves money on doctors bills. Healthier people not only get fewer colds and flu, they have less disease and falling accidents. They spend less on prescriptions, and save time [...]
Home Vacuum, and Steam Vac Great Values
Floor vacuum cleaners seem to be a controversial topic these days. I know people who have very strong opinions about their Dyson, Hoover, Oreck, Eureka, Dirt Devil, Rainbow or Kirby. Prices can vary from about a $100 to over a thousand dollars. I have heard people who tell me they really love this [...]
Before You Bargain Hunt
Before You Bargain Hunt, Consider This…
Everyone is looking for a way to save money. Companies are taking advantage of this by promoting their best “bargains” to the fullest and people are scouring thrift shops for a used version of anything they need. However, not all bargains are created equal. [...]
Knowing where to make your cuts
Guest post by Georgia Dalsum
Budgeting – Knowing Where to Make Your Cuts
If you’re struggling financially, cutting your expenses is the first step toward regaining financial control. With less money going out, more money can go toward your necessary expenses to catch up and solidify your financial [...]
The Costs and Benefits of Power Outages
Our city (Columbus Ohio) is 4 days into an electrical outage for nearly half the city. Our power through American Electric Power continues to come and off, giving us some relief, but never sure if we should buy ice or move refrigeratable goods to our parent’s units. My wife and I are experiencing [...]
Vacation Savings
I just returned from a much-needed vacation. Since it been many years since we had a real one, I underestimated some of the expense of it all.
First of all we saved a lot on the beach house by getting a great deal, and we bought a lot of our food locally and took it with us in a cooler since [...]
Save on Clothes, With New Antiperspirant
Financial blogs like this usually don’t have recommendations about personal care products, but this one might save you some money. Do you throw clothes away by yellowing caused by deodorants and antiperspirants? Over the years it has really bothered me to toss out a light-colored favorite polo or [...]
Front versus Top Loading Washers and Dryers
Mary Hunt founder and publisher of Debt-Proof Living, a highly regarded organization consisting of interactive website, monthly newsletter, personal finance tools and almost 20 books, recently wrote about the front and top loading washer and dryer debate. I thought this information to be very [...]
Learning to Cook to Save Money
Cooking is a lost art it seems these days. People today are very busy, working longer hours or multiple jobs, running children to events. Convenience and less hassle of fast food, and packaged meals are very tempting. Many people have gotten out of the habit, or never acquired skills in the [...]
How to save on groceries at 3 major chains
It is not easy for the novice grocery store shopper to find ways that each chain has it for you to save money. In Columbus Ohio where we live, the biggest chain grocery stores are Kroger, Giant Eagle and Meijer, and each one has tricky ways to sign up for or find special savings. We have outlined a [...]
Can we spend our way to prosperity?
A few years ago, researchers discovered that most people driving on highways in blinding fog, drive much faster than they can see ahead, and even some people actually drive faster. When it comes to debt some exhibit the same behavior: debt is increasing, but we don’t slow down life, somehow like [...]
Good time to buy?
There are many times throughout the year to buy certain items, or to check on things that might save you money!
The Spring is a good time to buy a refrigerator, since that is when new models come out and manufacturers are trying to get rid of old models
The Fall is a good time to buy other major [...]
Austerity- Rarely Used, but Great Word
Merriam-Webster named Austerity as the word of the year in 2010, but these days it isn’t a word we use often. Dictionary.com defines it as 1. austere quality; severity of manner, life, etc.; sternness. 2. Usually, austerities. ascetic practices: austerities of monastery life. 3. strict economy. I [...]
Thrift Store Finds; Clothes and Picasso’s
Thrift stores that sell used home furnishings and clothes have been a place for us to acquire needed items, but I have not come across a Picasso like Zach Bodish did, when he bought a signed print for $14.14 and might be worth $6,000 – $12,000 at the Volunteer’s of America store in Columbus [...]
Americans Waste Up to $2,000 on Discarded Food
Great article in the Wall Street Journal about leftovers, discarded food and the impact to household budgets and the environment. I hate it when food goes bad and we have to toss it out. We try to freeze things like peppers or meat before they go bad, and only buy what we plan to use in recipes [...]
Is Wise Grocery Shopping Worth It?
These days everyone wants to spend less money. With increasing costs to healthcare and gasoline, grocery costs seem to be of the things to be increasing faster than inflation, and represent a large percentage of people’s budgets. Monthly expenses are either fixed like rent/mortgage, car payments [...]
$2k in Grocery Savings
Saturday morning is the time my wife and I usually grocery shop together. By then she has clipped all of the coupons, we have discussed the list of things we think we need and how much we want to spend. She has also run a report from www.thegrocerygame.com, which is a nice list of deals that [...]
