Five reasons why an inexpensive wristwatch rocks

I’d gone a while without wearing a watch, but I bought myself a Casio wristwatch yesterday. It cost me a whopping $15. It’s a non-descript bland, boxy, black and gray job with a dull silvery face and blocky seven-panel liquid crystal display digits — the finest in 1980s technology. While my new Casio may be … Read more

Restaurant dining for the price of a tip

(Note: This is a very old post.  I posted this in 2004, before Mighty Bargain Hunter had moved to the WordPress platform.  So now, a blast from the past, gently rebooted …) Restaurant dining for the price of a tip! I hope that the title caught your attention. Conventional frugal practice does wonders with the … Read more

Modern energy-efficient washing appliances are no bargain

New dishwashers and clothes washers are stylized and sleek, with electronic sensors, LEDs, and digital displays.  They’re quiet.  (“Is it on?” advertises one of the upper-end dishwashers.)  The newer paired washers and dryers really are nicely designed and even talk to one another.  One might even say they’re pleasant to look at.  (Tea and crumpets … Read more

The bargain of friendship

Have you ever considered what friends are worth?  It’s futile to put a price tag on friendship itself, though it’s fairly easy to argue that someone without any friends is bankrupt in some way.  It takes time to cultivate friendships; this process can’t be accelerated by throwing money at the problem.  Having a lot of … Read more

My spending triggers are here. What are yours?

Free From Broke strongly recommends that you know what your spending triggers are.  Spending triggers are those situations, mindsets, or excuses that increase your tendency to make less-than-wise spending decisions.  The ones that are mentioned by name are: “I deserve it.” “Everyone else has one.” “I have this, so I need that.” “Hurry!  Sale ends … Read more