When we moved from our old house to the new one, we left a house with a septic tank and went to one that was served by our county’s sewer service. Having one over the other isn’t that much different, I suppose. They both do the job. Having a septic system requires maintenance (regular pumping) … Read more
Food and drinks out of vending machines are sold at ridiculous mark-ups, but sometimes that extra bit of concentration that a snack or a soda is what’s needed to get through the mid-afternoon slump — that time when the brain is screaming “nap” and the stomach is yelling “feed me.” Unfortunately, the cooking facilities at … Read more
MSN MoneyCentral has produced a list of ten things that people waste money on every day. I agree that, most of the time, the items on this list are money-wasters. There are always exceptions though. Here are my comments on the list: Lottery tickets. The odds of winning the big prize are astronomical. What’s more, … Read more
My wife’s laptop is showing signs of getting ready to fail, so I’ve been looking around for the past couple of days for replacement options. Since “buy used when it makes sense” is one of the very best money-saving tips I can give, part of my research involved looking for quality used options. We’ve bought “open-box” … Read more
Yesterday we spent a wonderful New Year’s with great friends. They’re the kind of friends that you can enjoy sharing time with, without the need to put on appearances or impress. It’s incredibly relaxing. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that we scored some great Mr. Rebates savings with our purchases at The Disney … Read more
This post over at Aloysa’s Kitchen Sink got some attention as an Editor’s Pick in the Carnival of Personal Finance a few weeks ago. The post explained five reasons to stop being frugal and get a life. Strong words, for sure, but does the reasoning stand up to scrutiny? Let’s check them out. (Her words … Read more
The end-of-year holidays are festive for most people: attending parties, decorating, giving gifts, listening to music, visiting family, eating a bit too much. At work it sometimes means announcement of raises or year-end bonuses when there’s profit to be shared. People may be entering the new year with a fatter wallet and a bigger paycheck. … Read more
Halloween is coming up, and you don’t have a costume yet? Fear not! Here are nine quick and easy Halloween costumes that won’t break the bank, and will at least give you a few groans from incredulous passersby. To make it a little more fun, I’ll post the answers in the comments so that you … Read more