So you pull into a parking spot, take your seat belt off and start to get out of the car when you suddenly remember your phone is still on your lap. But it’s too late, the soft thud of your phone hitting the ground is a sound that I’m all too familiar with. Back when […]
High Cost of Living vs. Low Cost of Living Areas
It’s amazing how much the prices of items and commodities can vary depending on the region in which you live. The cost of groceries, gasoline, and rent and utilities is highly dependent on geographical location, even within the same country. Knowing that living expenses exist on a scale of least expensive to most expensive begs […]
Financial Checklist: 25 Things to Take Care of Before You Turn 25
It’s never too soon to start thinking about money, and more importantly, your own personal finances. But the financial world is huge, and it can be overwhelming to know where to start. To make it a little easier, we’ve compiled a checklist that every twenty-something should be able to use. There are some money matters […]
How We Live Well on Less
My husband and I live a frugal lifestyle, and we do so by choice. We don’t put much value into material possessions, and instead we focus on the more fulfilling things in life. I’m routinely amazed that more people don’t make the choice to live more simple, yet more satisfying lives by not worrying about […]
Are You Walking Away from Free Money on the Table?
Everyone has their preferred method on building wealth and financial security. Some folks like to get frugal, cut expenses, and make the most of their current income. Others prefer to not worry about the little costs because they’re focused on increasing their earnings instead. These two ways of handling money create a spectrum, and most […]
Free 24 Hour Fitness Super Sport Upgrade
I’ve been a 24 Hour Fitness member for over 10 years now, the last seven of which my annual dues were only $99. I signed up at a time when they allowed you to pre-pay 3 years at regular rates and every year after that would be only $99. It was and still is a […]
Four Productive, Fulfilling Alternatives to Boredom Spending
One of the biggest spending traps people of all income levels need to watch out for is boredom spending. It’s too easy to make this kind of spending into a habit, as we often use it as a way to deal with negative feelings or circumstances. We resort to unnecessary spending not only when we’re […]
Want to Save More Money? Stop Paying for Convenience
Have you ever stopped and thought about the kind of spending you do? No, I’m not talking about necessary costs that are associated with surviving in a relatively comfortable state. To me, we can file things like housing (and related utilities), food, and items like toiletries and medicines under “needs.” I’m talking about the spending […]
Why You Should Plan to Keep Your Older Car
Anyone who knows me knows I love my car. No, it’s not some fancy, sporty European coupe or a rock-climbing, off-roading, adventure-seeking vehicle. It’s not new, it has zero special features, and it doesn’t have leather seats. It’s just a plain ol’ Mazda sedan – a Mazda3 to be exact – that is one grade […]
Tuning Up a Bicycle is Easier and Cheaper Than You Think
Ever since I moved up to Newport Beach a few months ago, I have been biking nearly everywhere. When you don’t have a job, you have a lot more free time on your hands so you’re not in quite as much of a rush. A lot of people think riding your bike takes significantly more […]
Where’s the Best Place to Get a Christmas Tree?
It’s that time of the year again when we all get to feel pressured into spending lots of money on people we don’t care about and buy a bunch of superfluous gifts. Ok Christmas time isn’t that bad, but it’s kind of like a nightmare for a lot of personal finance bloggers. I actually enjoy […]
Lots of New Amex Sync Offers: $25 Free at Amazon.com
Last summer I wrote about all the great benefits of my Amex cards when it came to promotions with social media. The promotions this past summer weren’t as good but there were still a few decent ones here and there. But with Christmas time coming up, Amex is really turning up the heat when it […]
Does Brewing Your Own Beer Save You Money?
I’m not sure how many of you have picked up on it, but I like to drink(alcohol, that is). I don’t spend my weekends binge drinking, but I love to enjoy a glass of wine while I’m cooking or a nice cold beer after a long day of work of exercising. I’m probably the furthest […]
A Tribute to the Greatest Chipotle Article of All Time
If you missed my first Chipotle article, then click here to go back and read it before you start on this one! Enjoy.. When I first started this site almost two years ago it was with the intention to discuss topics like saving for retirement and investment strategies. But I quickly realized that those articles […]
Does Paying For Memberships Motivate You to Use Them?
Ever since I quit my job, I’ve had a ton of time on my hands! After I’m done with my four hours of work, I usually spend the rest of the day exercising, working out, exploring or meeting up with friends. When I first started this day job hiatus, I was working out at the […]
Is a AAA Membership Worth It?
One of the ways companies like to hit up consumers over and over is by charging monthly or yearly subscription fees. That’s usually why most businesses won’t offer lifetime memberships, instead they opt for subscription type services. That way, you have to keep coming back every year and give them more money. It’s a pretty […]
That Printer Ink Cartridge Costs What?!
One of the things I miss most about my old day job is the free printing. I’m not kidding either. Even though we live in a digital age, I still find myself printing out a ton of documents nearly every single day. I print out everything from contracts to shipping labels and everything in-between. At […]
Can I Get Rid of My Car Yet?
Having lived in Southern California my whole life, I’ve always needed a car to get around. Even when I was young and I couldn’t drive anywhere, I still relied on my parents to drop me off at school, take me to soccer practice and wherever else I needed to go. Now that I’m all grown […]
Is Going Green Worth It?
Now that it’s football season I spend most of my Sunday’s watching the NFL RedZone channel on the couch. But once I get tired of that in a couple months I’ll probably go back to my normal routine of waking up early and strolling down to the local farmer’s market. I’m not sure what’s so […]
Moven Review: a New Kind of Mobile Money Service
If you’re like most young professionals, everything is on your phone these days. In fact, you don’t even have to be that young to master a smartphone: my mom explained to me the other day how to use the Starbucks mobile app. But whether you’re paying for coffee with your phone or using Tinder to […]