One of No Credit Needed’s posts asked people about what exactly constituted six months’ worth of expenses, which led naturally to a discussion about emergency funds. The last of four questions he asked his readers to respond to: What is the smallest emergency fund with which you would be comfortable? I said “75 years” with … Read more
I mentioned before how I make easy steamers for my wife for a fraction of what we’d pay at a coffee shop. Here’s the breakdown of the cost: 1/2 gallon of lactose-free, 2% milk runs $2.98, good for 10 steamers: $0.30 per steamer 25.4 oz of Torani® Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup is $5.99, good for … Read more
With $4 gas nicely entrenched now in the US — and higher fear premiums brought on by recent Iranian missile tests — driving around is starting to suck. (Well, at least the filling-up part.) Ah well, just get a gas guzzler with a guarantee of $2.99 gas and you’re all set, right? Probably not, according … Read more
It looks like eBay has added a feature that I’ve been interested in having for a while. When dealing with a new seller it makes sense to check the feedback of the seller, especially if it’s not almost perfect. But I hadn’t found a way to check the negative and neutral feedbacks without scrolling through … Read more
This might have been one of my easily confused money terms, but I didn’t think of it back then. Inflation and rising prices are often used interchangeably but they’re not the same thing. Inflation is an increase in the money supply, or put another way, a dilution of its value. (Or put even more cynically, … Read more
Here are some highlights from the rest of the posts in last month’s MBN Group Writing Project on Finances at Graduation, highlighting some of the best advice that personal finance bloggers have for the newly graduated. From Plonkee Money: ““About spending lots of money, don’t. Whatever income situation you’re in, you probably don’t have as … Read more
My wife was at a quilting bee today so I got to spend the day with my three-year-old daughter. After we went to a park near the Potomac River we stopped at a community yard sale in one of the bigger subdivisions nearby. It’s a lot easier to say “yes” when we’re “shopping” at yard … Read more
One treat my wife really likes in the evenings is a steamer — hot milk with some flavoring and a bit of whipped cream. We have an espresso machine but we rarely use it because the start-up and tear-down time is a bit long just for one or two small drinks. That and we didn’t … Read more