Saving
It’s a claim you’ve likely heard echoing through the news cycle: Blue states are drowning in high energy bills while red states enjoy cheap, reliable power. It makes for a great sound bite, but if you’re trying to manage a household budget, you don’t need political theater — you need…
iona didishvili / Shutterstock.comMany people choose to be frugal for different reasons. Maybe they were raised to live a frugal life, so it’s second nature to them. Perhaps they are consciously frugal and saving to pay cash for a house, or they have a child about to head off to…
If you’ve walked down the snack aisle lately, you’ve probably felt like you needed a small personal loan just to buy a bag of Doritos. We’ve been grumbling about it for years, and it seems the folks in the corporate suites finally heard us. Or, more likely, they saw their…
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: A homeowner spends $10,000 on a high-tech, ultra-efficient furnace, only to wonder why their heating bill still looks like a car payment. It’s a classic mistake. You can buy the most expensive heater on the planet, but if your house has the structural…
We recently published an article for the “super-savers“—those rare birds who worry they’re hoarding too much cash for the future. If you read that and thought, “Must be nice to have that problem,” this article is for you. The uncomfortable reality is that most Americans are woefully unprepared for retirement.…
You are likely leaving money on the table every single month. We are conditioned to believe that outside of a car dealership or a real estate closing, the price tag is the final word. That assumption is an expensive mistake. In an economy where inflation has driven up the cost…
You’ve probably seen those glossy brochures for “senior-friendly” home renovations. They usually feature $10,000 walk-in tubs and sleek, custom-built ramps that cost more than a used Honda. It’s enough to make anyone on a fixed income give up and start looking at assisted living brochures. But here’s a secret the…
Grocery prices are stubborn. While overall inflation has cooled slightly, grocery prices remain high. At the same time, the average American family of four throws away $2,913 worth of food annually. That is nearly $3,000 of your income going straight into the landfill. You don’t need to clip paper coupons…
We talk a lot about food waste. The statistics are staggering: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that between 30% and 40% of the food supply in the United States is wasted. When you buy a bunch of bananas, you pay by the pound. If you eat the fruit…
The modern credit card is a marvel of engineering — not just for the banks, but for the human brain. Every time you swipe, tap, or click “Buy Now,” your brain experiences a spike in dopamine without the immediate pain of paying that comes with handing over physical cash. If…
