As soon as we started looking for a home with a real estate agent, she advised me to get preliminary quotes from several insurance companies so we would be able to move quickly once we went into escrow. If you’re getting a loan, you can’t close the loan without insurance in place, and the first …
First-Time Buyers: Shop for Homeowners Insurance in Advance Read More »
It’s mid-February and my taxes are already done. Not only are they done, but I’m actually getting money back, which came as a surprise. Part of that is because I used free online software to prepare my taxes. The services found deductions that I might have missed. This year, it took me twice as long …
I entered what I call “bad news fatigue” a few weeks ago. That means I no longer slap my forehead quite as hard when I see news of more financial idiocy. I just shake my head when I hear news of government screw-ups or rate cuts. If you haven’t yet reached the point where you …
I’ll admit that I gave up on flying for holidays nearly a decade ago. My family lives six hours away, and I eventually found that it’s cheaper and easier to drive. I did fly for several years, however, and picked up a few tips for saving money on holiday travel. These tips may even save …
When people talk about “going green,” they’re usually talking about buying new environmentally friendly appliances, products, and clothes. All of those things cost big bucks, or at least a lot more than they should. Is that eco detergent really worth an extra $3? I doubt it, especially if you have an older dishwasher or washing …
After a few days of tousling over a much larger package, the Senate has passed the economic stimulus bill passed by the House. There are a few differences that will be ironed out over the next few days and then the bill will be sent to the President for his signature. He’s already said he’ll …
Mrs. Micah sent out a general tag for the top 5 budget busters meme and I’m taking up the challenge. I can actually boil them down to two things: food and my husband. Sometimes the two are combined. We don’t have a formal budget, but we have an idea of what we should be spending. Unfortunately, we often …
Today’s guest post is by Bradd, who’s come up with an ingenious way to save a lot of money. Like many people, I’ve been trying over the past year to cut unnecessary expenses as much as possible. Switching off lights when they’re not needed. Replacing incandescent lights with compact fluorescents (bought on sale 2 for …
Double Your Expenses and Gain Financial Independence Read More »
So last week we set our Thanksgiving budgets and made Thanksgiving travel arrangements. Today it’s time to spend a few minutes thinking about Christmas. In case you doubt that the holiday season is upon us, a few stores have already set out their Christmas displays. No, it’s not time to go tree shopping, but you should set …
Maybe it’s something about the decade (sort of) ending, but top 10 lists of posts seem to be all the rage this week, so I’ll throw my hat into the ring. Here are my personal 10 favorite posts from this year, one for each month: January 8 Frugal Valentine’s Day Ideas I couldn’t believe it when …
