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The Debt Guru’s Official Black Friday Survival Guide
Halloween is behind us, Thanksgiving is on the way – and the holiday shopping season is nearly upon us. That’s right: Now that November is here, those big holiday sales are right around the corner. But are they worth it? Where do you find the best Black Friday deals? Should you wait for Cyber Monday instead? And what the heck is Cyber Monday, anyway? When should you pounce on... -
How to Save Up $300 in time for the Holidays
I know, I know: It’s October. It’s not even Halloween yet, and I’m rolling out the holiday topics. But the thing is, it’s almost November. Pretty soon, malls will start putting up Christmas decorations. Department stores will start offering crazy “early bird” sales that start at five a.m. Your kids will start dropping hints about this year’s “must-have” toys. Before you know it, the holiday season will be in... -
5 Rules for Back-to-School Shopping
School’s almost in session again, and that means the inevitable back-to-school shopping trip. Pencils, notebooks, art supplies, clothing, lunch totes – it all starts to add up pretty fast. If you’re on a budget (and these days, who isn’t on a budget?), it’s a good idea to have a game plan before you hit the stores. Here are five ways to make sure you don’t blow your back-to-school... -
“I Don’t Make Enough to Save”
Four Ways We Talk Ourselves into Financial Disaster You make plenty of money – enough, at least, to allow you to pay bills, eat, get to work, and save for the future. You even made a budget once; a neat and attractive Excel spreadsheet that organized and allocated your monthly earnings, down to the penny. You even had spending money left over. Well, you should have, anyway. ... -
How’s Your Financial Health? Time For An End-of-Summer Money Checkup
August is the Perfect Month to Assess Your Finances So back in January, you decided that this would be the year you finally got your finances in order: you’d pay off all of your credit card debt (or at least you’d avoid acquiring any new debt). You’d build up an emergency fund. You’d put a thousand bucks into your retirement account. You’d write a budget and this year... -
Saving Money, One Call at a Time
Four Phone Calls That Can Save You Big Money If you’re looking for a new way to save money this summer (and really, who isn’t?), I’ve got some great news for you: You’ve already got access to a free, easy, and incredibly powerful tool that can help you slash your cable bill and score a better APR on your credit card. I know, it sounds too good... -
Savvy Money Moves For Any Income Level
Financial advice is rarely one-size-fits all: If you read financial blogs regularly, you’ve probably seen your share of tips that just don’t apply to your situation. To a family of four living on an income of $20,000 a year, the idea of starting an “emergency fund” with six months’ worth of living expenses probably sounds close to impossible. And if you’re a single person pulling in $65,000 a year,... -
Simple (& Painless) Strategies To Build Savings
Maybe you’re looking for a way to start your much-needed emergency fund – or perhaps you’re just trying to scrape together some extra cash for your summer vacation. Whatever the reason, you know that you want to start saving. But how? It’s easier than you think. In fact, there are lots of easy, and painless ways to make a little bit of change add up to a lot... -
Five Frugal Mother’s Day Ideas
According to the National Retail Federation, the average American is expected to spend $150 on Mother’s Day gifts this year. That’s a pretty big chunk of change – but when you factor in about $30-$40 for a flower arrangement and $75-$100 to take the family to Mother’s Day brunch at a local chain restaurant, you see how quickly those two traditional gifts can add up. This year, instead of... -
Five Simple Ways to Save Big
Here’s some good news for folks who want to trim their budgets this spring: You don’t need a complete financial overhaul to start saving some serious cash. In fact, by making a few (very) small changes in your lifestyle, you can save hundreds of dollars a year. Small things like skipping your daily cup of fancy coffee or changing a light bulb can make a big difference. If...