I don't know about you, but when something bad happens to me, I blame myself. Every time. Without fail or hesitation. Up until a couple of months ago, I thought the whole "what should I have done differently?" script that runs through my head whenever something goes wrong was ... Read more...
Archives for January 2013
Six Tips For Stretching Your Food Dollars
The following is a guest post Are you looking for ways to save money? If so, you’re not alone. Finances are tight for many families across the country. As a result, some people sacrifice yearly vacations and entertain at home to save a buck. Other families go as far as ... Read more...
Another Change To My 2013 Financial Goals – A Little One This Time!
Over the past few weeks - since I announced my intention to start working towards saving for a home - I've been doing a lot of research about the path to homeownership. I've talked to friends and my parents, read all of the thoughtful comments on this post, checked out books from ... Read more...
How “Spendy” Is Your Profession?
In my profession (teaching) there are lots and lots and lots of debates. Teacher-centered instruction or student-centered instruction? Are students getting too much homework? Merit or seniority-based pay? There's a lot to talk about, a lot to disagree about, a lot that we need to ... Read more...
Five New Personal Finance Blogs I’m Loving Right Now
I never get sick of reading personal finance blogs. I'm not sure why, because I get sick of pretty much everything else pretty quickly. Maybe it's because money is a topic that there is an almost endless number of perspectives on, and I love hearing about all of them. Maybe it's ... Read more...
There Is Value In Maintaining Your Status Quo
When it comes to a lot of the "big" stuff in life - finances, relationships, career - it seems like everyone is always gearing up for the next "big" thing. A promotion. A wedding. A house. A baby. No matter how content we are at any given moment in our lives, there's always ... Read more...
Stuff That You Probably Think Is A Waste Of Money, But I Don’t
The Internet - and I mean lots and lots of sites, not just personal finance blogs - is rife with opinions about what is a waste of money. Usually, these articles come in the form of a list, with titles like "Top Ten Money Wasters" of "Fifteen Ways You're Wasting Money." Typical ... Read more...
Having “Something To Show For It”
Often, when I discover a new personal finance blog and start reading through the blogger's archives or "About" page, I come across a certain line. A very, very scary line. A line that seems to be a common description of the blogger's motivation to turn his or her finances around. ... Read more...
Holy Crap, I Will Need A HUGE Downpayment!
After announcing my intention to to start saving for a home on Monday, I've been doing a lot of digging about mortgages and down payments and PMI (oh my!). In the process I came across this cool infographic about how various down payment sizes and the length of the mortgage (15 ... Read more...
2013 Goals Do-Over: Taking A Big Leap
When I posted my 2013 goals last week, I got a comment on them from one of my all-time favorite personal finance bloggers, Frugal Zeitgeist. I started reading her blog five years ago and I can honestly say it changed my financial life. Her commitment to frugality was one of the ... Read more...