A Prairie Farmer’s Meal Plan: Eat for a Buck or Two a Day
Posted 2 weeks 6 days ago by Linsey Knerl
Frugal Living, Food and Drink, Budgeting

The economy and rising gas costs have consumed at least 60% of my regular news and public television broadcast programming. While I’ve heard all there is to hear about how bad food prices are getting, why can’t someone give me some real tips on how to cope? Maybe if things get bad enough, I could take a lesson or two from the late 1800’s Prairie Farmer magazine.
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A One Touch Approach To Managing Household Finances
Posted 5 weeks 6 days ago by Jason White
Life Hacks, Productivity, Budgeting

Over the years I've implemented elaborate tickler systems, email reminders and various other ways to remind myself not to forget to pay a few paper bills. At some point they all fail, usually due to my own procrastination or some technical or procedural glitch. That was, until I implemented a fool-proof plan I call the "One Touch System" for household productivity. Read on to learn how to implement this perfectly simple system to improve the management of your own household finances.
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Refactor your budget categories
Posted 6 weeks 11 min ago by Philip Brewer
Budgeting

There are a lot of budget templates out there. Any will serve the purpose, and if you've got one that's working for you, that's a good enough reason to stick with it. If you don't have a budget, though, or if you're going to be changing your budget categories around for some other reason, I've got some thoughts on what makes a good category.
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The Art of the Trade
Posted 6 weeks 11 hours ago by Margaret Garcia-Couoh
Frugal Living, DIY, Budgeting, Art and Leisure

Money or not, things around the house need fixing, painting and up keep that goes beyond DIY. It might be a good time to look around your neighborhood for someone who'll trade his or her valuable skill for yours. And a good time to assess just exactly what skills you have to contribute.
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Make Grocery Budgeting A Game, The Price Is Right Style
Posted 6 weeks 1 day ago by Jason White
Personal Finance, Shopping, Budgeting

Growing up, I stayed with my grandparents during the day on summer breaks from school. Our mid-mornings were usually spent casually watching The Price is Right. Maybe those Showcase Showdowns ingrained something in my frugal memory bank, because my family now enjoys a grocery budgeting game with similar rules.
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What if energy costs keep rising?
Posted 7 weeks 1 day ago by Philip Brewer
Budgeting, Cars and Transportation

I don't know if energy costs will keep rising. Nobody does. Even with recent growth in China, India, and elsewhere, the US still consumes 25% of the oil produced world-wide, so a severe recession in the US could easily cut total demand enough to bring the price down. Recession or not, I think the medium-term trend in energy costs is up. Just in case I'm right, you ought to have plan for that.
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The ethics of hoarding
Posted 7 weeks 5 days ago by Philip Brewer
Shopping, Food and Drink, Budgeting, Investment, Consumer Affairs

In the Philippines, they're threatening life sentences for people hoarding rice. In the United States, grocers need to put limits on rice purchases just to keep their shelves stocked. Philippine traders are now afraid to fill their warehouses, for fear of being called a hoarder. Even ordinary US shoppers are worrying that buying a big bag of rice might make them a hoarder. In this climate, it's worth thinking about what hoarding actually is.
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Budgeting in a time of inflation
Posted 9 weeks 3 days ago by Philip Brewer
Personal Finance, General Tips, Budgeting

My very first experience running a household was in 1980, just as the last big inflation was spiking up over 10%. My carefully constructed budget was completely destroyed by prices that were rising by 1% every month. Since then, I've given considerable thought to how to deal with just that situation. Since history seems dangerously close to repeating itself, it's a timely topic.
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The Same Actions Will Produce The Same Results (Ten Tenets for Arranging Your Rich: Part 2)
Posted 10 weeks 2 days ago by Kate Luther
Personal Finance, Career and Income, Life Hacks, General Tips, Lifestyle, Budgeting

A while back I posted the first of what I promised would be "Ten Tenets to Arranging Your Rich". And wouldn't you know it, right after posting Tenet #1, things got a little crazy and life interfered with my blogging plans. Go figure :)In any event, I think we're back on track now and as promised, we've got nine more tenets to go. So, without further adieu, here's tenet #2: The same actions will produce the same results.
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Classy Weddings on the Cheap
Posted 11 weeks 1 day ago by Myscha Theriault
Budgeting

Closing in on the big day and concerned the budget is spiraling out of control? Believe it or not, you can have a classy event without going permanently in debt. Here’s a peek at various categories to consider, and suggestions for each.
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Dealing with Nasty Debt Collectors
Posted 12 weeks 5 days ago by Nora Dunn
Budgeting, Credit Cards, Consumer Affairs

You may (or may not) be delinquent with a debt payment, but debt collectors don’t have carte blanche with regards to how they can hustle the money from you. Some can be rude, make idle (and illegal) threats, and just plain be a pain. But they can only go so far, and it pays to know your rights.
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Generosity or Stupidity?
Posted 14 weeks 3 days ago by Nora Dunn
Frugal Living, Lifestyle, Budgeting

There is a fine line between being generous and being stupid with finances. But where is that line?
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The stuff I try never to buy new
Posted 16 weeks 2 days ago by Paul Michael
Frugal Living, General Tips, Shopping, Green Living, Budgeting, Consumer Affairs

I don't like buying new. It's not that I consider myself to be some kind of Scrooge. I just have a hard time paying more for something than I need to, and often we take that extra hit when we pay for a brand new item. So, I buy second-hand things a lot of the time. Here's my guide to the main items you should always consider buying used.
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Credit Counseling: When you Need it and When you Don't
Posted 16 weeks 3 days ago by Nora Dunn
Budgeting, Credit Cards

So you are up to your eyeballs. Drowning in debt, expenses, and struggling to keep your head above water. You have been reduced to the life of a monk and are still making no headway. Is it time to see a credit counselor?
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Debt Discovery: The Ties That Binder
Posted 16 weeks 5 days ago by Jabulani Leffall
Budgeting

It's amazing how many of us are business people -- dealing with budgets, liabilities, profit, revenue and loss -- who make questionable decisions with our own finances. What's even more amazing is that we often don't approach our own money with the same cold meticulousness and objective impartiality that one needs to run a business. But in this case, you are the business. Get thee to an office supply store immediately.
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Stash Your Cash with Pump Action Portion Control
Posted 16 weeks 5 days ago by Myscha Theriault
Budgeting

Is heavy handed product use driving your budget into the financial ditch? Blowing through shampoo, salad dressing, ketchup and shower gel faster than you clip coupons to compensate? Maybe you just want an easier way to mix drinks at the bar. Whatever your reasons, I’ve compiled a list of suggestions and resources for using the power of pump dispensers to redirect your lost dollars back into your bank account. Read on for more details.
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Finding Money: 11 Ways to Save Money you are Spending Without Sacrificing Anything
Posted 17 weeks 18 hours ago by Nora Dunn
Personal Finance, Budgeting

There are a number of ways to find money by rearranging your finances, stretching your shopping dollar, and spending wisely. Here is a collection of 11 Tips to help you find some money of your own.
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The one site you must visit before buying anything online. Period.
Posted 17 weeks 1 day ago by Paul Michael
Frugal Living, Deals and Coupons, Deals, Coupons, Budgeting, Consumer Affairs

Friends, deal hounds, bargain hunters, lend me your ears; if ye don't know about the best coupon site on the web, bar none, then this will indeed be a most glorious day for thee (sorry, I'm really not Shakespeare). But in all seriousness, there is one site I have bookmarked that I visit before I buy anything online, ever. And you should, too.
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