Clothes can say many different things. Such as: “I’m quietly confident.” Or: “I’m hip and stylish.” Or even: “I’m utterly tacky.” Regardless of the specifics, all clothes say: “I’m not naked.” This is largely what I demand of my clothing, and it’s largely what everyone else demands of my clothing as well. My wife has … Read more
Frugality, by definition, deals with the economical uses of resources. This includes not only money, but also time, and anything else that can be consumed or used. Closely related to being careful with how we use our time, we also need to be careful with how we use our attention. We have evermore bright-and-shinys competing … Read more
My daughter’s “love languages” are gifts and quality time. I think I do all right with the gifts, but I can do better on the quality time part. I had planned to stop at Sheetz to pick up a large-ish Rice Krispies® treat for my daughter. Somewhere along the way, though, I decided instead to … Read more
Saving money, and spending less money, are two crucial activities for people looking to take, and maintain, control of their personal finances. And, as with most things, there are classy ways to go about it, and … less classy ways. On the spectrum of ways to spend less money openly, one can be (in order … Read more
A big part of personal finance advice revolves around finding ways to spend less. Less money going out the door means more money staying in your bank account. By and by, some purchases draw an above-average amount of fire. Bottled water is one of them. I’ve seen at least three posts over the past few … Read more
It’s not a secret that people give away or throw away lots and lots of stuff. Stuff that’s outlasted its usefulness. Stuff that’s broken. Stuff that reminded them every day of their lousy purchase. We’ve gotten useful castaway items right from within our subdivision. We scored a nearly-complete set of patio furniture that just needed … Read more
Personal finance, and the difference between good and bad deals, are always a matter of context. What could be a great deal in one context could be a lousy deal in another. Sometimes spending more money is better than spending less; other times, it’s the opposite. When I read this article on Money Talk News … Read more
As the father of a daughter, I’ll likely be thinking about wedding costs a lot sooner than I want. I’m reminded of this every day as I watch my baby girl grow up at record speed. Unless tradition reverses course, I’ll be expected to foot the bill. That’s what happens when the coin toss shows … Read more