The holiday season is once again upon us. One of my family’s favorite things to do is wandering around our neighborhood admiring all the beautiful lighting displays. All those bulbs can result in a gigantic increase in your December electricity bill if you’re still using the old fashioned incandescent bulbs for your holiday decorations. You [...]

I’ve been watching with interest all the media reports about several big banks adding new fees for debit card use. Here’s how I look at it. The banks have every right to charge those fees. They are profit-seeking companies doing what companies do — go after profit. As a customer, I can choose to accept [...]

If you’re the parent of a young kid, you’ll like this one. I was recently commenting to a friend that my 9-year-old son is always blowing through his shoes well before he outgrows them. Doesn’t matter whether the shoes are national brands or generic store brands. If he gets 8 weeks out of them, he [...]

I admit it. I love Starbucks®. (And no, they haven’t paid me to say nice things about them.) At the same time, I discovered long ago that my coffee habit can be potentially expensive. I’ve mostly cut out the cappuccinos in favor of their drip brew coffee. I’ve also reduced the frequency of my visits. [...]

If you are a typical driver, a $.15 per gallon reduction in the price of gas will save you about $100 a year. There are many ways to avoid paying top dollar, including: Pay with a credit card that offers a cash rebate. For example, the Costco American Express® card rebates 3% on gasoline purchases. [...]

Have you ever wondered what your car is costing you over a driving lifetime? Chapter 7 of “From Ramen to Riches” covers this in detail, but here are some of the highlights: The $6,745,171 automobile collection: Someone who leases a new $20,000 car every 3 years pays out about $600 per month in auto expense when you [...]

It’s the holidays and many people are getting ready to hop on a plane and go over many rivers to Grandma’s house. (I don’t know about you, but going by horse and sleigh doesn’t sound half bad, unless you have to cross a continent to get there. But I digress.) Frequent travelers know that airport [...]

With the money-spending madness of the holidays coming up, here are a few tips for avoiding a financial hangover come January, when all the bills start piling up. 1.    Make a list, and check it twice. Write down everyone you have to buy for, from the mailman to your Mom to your best friend. Once you [...]