A washer and dryer are mainstays in many households. They are in our household, for sure. We bought a used washer and dryer set four and a half years ago. Over the past couple of weeks, the washer was whining loudly. First we heard it within the drain cycle, then in the spin cycle. When … 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
There are lots of advantages that come out of being in a healthy marriage. A healthy marriage takes work, and lots of communication, especially about financial matters. Over time, I’ve come to view differences of opinion on money matters with my wife less as argument, but more as different perspective. Partners have different ways of … Read more
Ebates was the first rebate site I used. I’ve been a member since 2002. The site has been around since 1998. That’s last century, if you’re keeping track. I use rebate sites all the time. Every chance I get, as a matter of fact! For a miniscule amount of extra work, I can save a … 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
The blog A Young Pro had this year-old article in his Twitter feed recently. The title: “When is it Okay to Spend Money?” (link broken 10/2014) He recounts the story of a really bad week with his car. He gets in an accident, and then locks his only set of car keys in the car, … Read more
Statistically, I’ve passed the midpoint of my life. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been thinking more about calling, and legacy. Calling, in my mind, is the most important thing I can do, which would be the most difficult for someone else to do had I not done it. Legacy, in my mind, are the traces … Read more
A high school friend posted a link to this Mother Jones commentary on an Economist article dealing with education in personal finance. The main point brought out is that “courses in personal finance do not appear to have an impact on adult behaviour.” The article specifically mentions that financial education had no impact on degree … Read more