Spend More, Save More

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My wife wanted to string globe lights around our patio for ambiance for a party we were hosting over the weekend. We found several lights were burnt out, and needed to be replaced. I found replacement bulbs at Walmart, two bulbs for $3. I needed four bulbs, for a total replacement cost of $6. Nearby I found a brand new strand of lights for $10. I gently placed the new strand of lights in my cart and headed for the self-checkout lane. Why would I pay $10 for an entire new strand when I could replace my burnt out bulbs […] Read more »

5 Steps To Avoid Overpaying For Your New Appliance

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The microwave made a horrible loud buzzing noise, and when the time reached zero the food inside was still cold. My over the range microwave was broken, and not worth fixing. It was time to get a new one. Before going shopping, I needed to research microwaves and know exactly what I wanted. Because if I didn’t know what I wanted, a salesperson would likely talk me into buying a model with more features than I’d use, costing more than I wanted to spend. New microwaves have more bells and whistles than I expected. I knew there were different sizes […] Read more »

Black Friday Shopping Done Right

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For years I’ve bragged about the good night’s sleep I have the morning after Thanksgiving, portraying an attitude of non-interest regarding Black Friday shopping.  But, it’s time to come clean. I am a willing participant in the Black Friday madness, including this year.  Well, sort of.  Let me explain. Two Black Friday “Secrets” To say I slept in on Black Friday was no lie. I woke up well past eight o’clock, a full 4 hours past my normal weekday waking time.  I fought no crowds, visiting exactly zero stores that day.   There are two very important things to remember when […] Read more »

A Little Embarrassment Can Be A Great Financial Teacher

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It felt great to be able to come to the rescue for my fifteen year old daughter. As young adults progress through their teen years they want more independence, and rely less and less on their parents. So when the opportunity arose for me to swoop in and save the day for my daughter I latched on to it and took full advantage of it. It also gave me the opportunity to give my daughter a great lesson in personal finance. I had gone to the mall for some shopping, and brought my daughter with me. Once at the mall […] Read more »

My Daughter, A Shopping Mall Trip, and A Scary Situation

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I had a scary situation with my teenaged daughter over the weekend with what happened during a shopping trip to the mall with her friends. It was touch and go for a few days, but I’m now confident that everything is going to be just fine. One of her friends asked her to go to the mall shopping on Friday afternoon. Between her allowance and Christmas gifts she had amassed a tidy sum of money.  She thought a shopping trip to get some new clothes would be a fun way to spend time with her friend. When she returned home […] Read more »

Sunday Afternoon #LaundryBliss With Purex Laundry Detergent

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Laundry was on my mind as I was running errands last Sunday morning, because I knew I was out of laundry detergent. I stopped by Target just as they unlocked the doors, and surveyed the laundry detergent aisle for the best deal. I found a bottle of Purex laundry detergent boasting 10% more product than usual, advertising the potential of washing 90 loads for a cost of $7.99. That’s less than 9 cents per load! As I was standing in the checkout lane, anxious to get started with the day’s work, I thought about how I could have purchased my […] Read more »

How Does the Target RedCard Work?

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I was hurriedly going through the checkout lane at Target picking up some items on my way home from work when the cashier sprung a question I’ve heard a zillion times: “Are you going to be saving 5% with your REDcard today?” I shook my head, “No,” after which she asked me if I knew about the REDcard. I quipped at her my understanding of it being a Target Visa card that saves me 5% on my purchases. I told her that I didn’t like to use credit cards, but thanked her for the offer. I was surprised when she […] Read more »

You Can’t Beat Kohls Return Policy

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Coffee drinkers are passionate about their morning go-juice. Maybe you’re one of these people, my wife certainly is. Which is why she was very concerned when her Keurig single cup coffee brewing system started acting up. Her particular model has a choice of three difference size cups, and even though she always chooses the largest of the three, she noticed that it just wasn’t filling up the cup as far as it should. She had to resort to running the cycle twice or even three times to get her morning cup of brew. It obviously was not working right. Consulting […] Read more »

Would You Bust Your Budget to Boycott a Business?

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We have a running joke at my house that I should never tell my brother-in-law where I purchased the food I cook for him when he visits. When I happen to accidentally say it out loud he plugs his ears with his fingers and loudly repeats, “LA LA LA LA LA LA LA,” as to try to tune out what I’m saying. The reason being that the vast majority of our grocery shopping is done at Walmart. He refuses to shop there because he disagrees with how Walmart generally pays and treats its employees. These kinds of boycotts are not […] Read more »

Preventing Impulse Buys With A Waiting Period: Does it Work?

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Delayed gratification:  The art of making yourself wait to purchase something new.  Some people use a self-imposed waiting period to make sure that they really want to part with their hard earned cash.  The thought is, you reassess the want to make a purchase after a designated waiting period.  Many times you’ll decide against the purchase, thus saving yourself from wasting money on impulsive purchase. But does this practice really work?  I had the opportunity recently to find out. About a month ago, we decreased our cell phone bill by $150 a month by switching to a no contract plan […] Read more »

Misplaced Dad On A Pre-Teen Shopping Trip

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Today is officially my daughter’s twelfth birthday, but we celebrated it over the weekend.  From our observations, as well as by asking her directly, the thing she wanted the most for her birthday was clothes.   This was not surprising in the least, as my little girl, who’s biggest care in the world used to be wondering when her hair would be long enough to be put in a ponytail, has transformed (seemingly) overnight into a young woman who stares endlessly into a mirror primping and futzing with her hair, even applying some makeup before heading to the bus stop. The […] Read more »

Online Coupon Sites That Will Save You Money

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Over the last few months I’ve been making an effort to use coupons to help save on groceries, household items, and other essentials of life. It’s obviously one of those things that you get out of it as much as you put into it. It takes time to dig through the local ads as well as websites to find coupons that match the products that my family actually uses. Through my quest for using coupons experience (say that fast 10 times!) I’ve found a handful of websites on which I have been able to find useful coupons that can genuinely […] Read more »

This is Why You Overspend!

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This is Why You Overspend

Overspending is something that most all of us have been guilty of at one time or another.  But when you overspend on a regular basis, it can put a real dent in the amount of money you have to spend on the things you need, not just the things you want. If you’re someone that tends to overspend often and then discover you’ve made a bit of a mess financially, it’s probably wise to start doing a little digging and try to discover just why the overspending is happening in the first place. Know Why Overspending Happens When you know […] Read more »

The Best Discount Cards for your Budgeting Dollars

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The wallets and key rings of consumers have been filling up with little pieces of plastic that promise deep savings. Whether it is a loyalty card that offers you discounts on products or a membership card that offers even greater discounts chances are the stores you shop have one to offer. The economy is forcing millions of us to find new ways to earn extra money as well as cut back on expenses. One of the easiest ways to do this is to find the right mix of discount, membership and loyalty cards to stretch your hard earned dollars farther. […] Read more »