My water footprint is 1,092 gallons, which is about 100 less than the national average. That’s not great, considering that I don’t own a home and therefore don’t use much water. It doesn’t seem obvious, but your water footprint does have an impact on your finances, now and in the future. It also has an …
As I said last year, I don’t actually do Valentine’s Day. It’s crowded, gift prices go up, and no one really has enough time and space for romance. This year will be even worse, because it falls on a Saturday that is also part of a holiday weekend. Cue the mad dash to a romantic getaway. …
My yard is 75% dead, if I’m being generous with my estimate. We’ve also discovered that most of the sprinklers are broken. One has a broken sprinkler head, and I think the control box is broken for the front set. I’ve chosen to see this as an opportunity to replace a lot of the dead …
Beginner Gardening – Which Tools Do I Really Need? Read More »
This month, the Money Blog Network’s group project is budgets. I’m not in the MBN, but I’ve decided to post a blog about my method in creating a cash flow budgeting system. It’s far more effective for my husband and me than a traditional category-based budget. MBN lists several other budget posts on their site, if …
In case you hadn’t heard, a New Zealand bank accidentally deposited $10 million in a couple’s business account. They promptly withdrew the money and are now on the run. What would you do if this happened to you? What would you do if it was $10? A True Tale of a Bank Error Biting Back I actually …
What Do You Do When the Bank Makes an Error in Your Favor? Read More »
Now I’ve shown you my strategies for frugal grocery shopping. Last year, my local Ralph’s tried to circumvent my attempts. They redesigned the store and then held a grand re-opening. I was not impressed. In addition to the existing deli, floral counter, and fish counter, they added a meat counter, Coffee Bean, gourmet cheese and olive …
Although you don’t need to use them regularly, you should have copies of all your vital records in a safe place in case you do need them, you can create an Important Documents Checklist just so that you’ll have everything in order. Vital records include your birth certificate, marriage certificate, and divorce decree. If your …
The Documents You Need: Birth Certificates and other Vital Records Read More »
A lot of people don’t like leftovers, but nearly everyone looks forward to Thanksgiving leftovers. I’m almost more excited about the leftovers I have planned than I am about the main meal. In fact, I’m planning to buy a turkey that’s way too big for six people so I can have enough to feed my …
Today we take a break from holiday stress for something new. Tax stress! The last two years, my husband and I completed the draft tax forms to make sure our withholding was correct. Both years, it wasn’t, so we made arrangements to fix that. Now is the best time to do a bit of tax …
First the bad news: these rules don’t take effect until July, 2010. Under the new rules for the good news: today the Federal Reserve Board issued strict new rules barring the deceptive and punitive practices of many credit card issuers. The policy statement is quite extensive, but these are the rules I think are most important: The …
