As I’ve mentioned before, I grew up on a farm - an environment where one learns that it’s best not to get too attached to an animal of any species. Steers become steak, hogs become bacon, and pet-like critters such dogs and cats wander off or get into vicious fights with opossums and raccoons. That’s […]
The following is a guest post to by Jonathan at MasterYourCard.
So you need a microscope to see your savings and your boss is a tightwad, but you still like the good life? You don’t have to marry a millionaire to transform the way you live. Just follow these simple steps.
1. Just say “no” to retail. Avoid paying […]
In early May I wrote a post about the fact that the retaining walls in my front yard were ant-infested, crumbling disasters. After weighing multiple options for replacing the existing railroad ties with something more insect-resistant, we decided to go with the most cost-effective option and used free materials.
Here are the “before” pictures (the rocks […]
I reconciled my checking accounts this morning, a process which entails categorizing all of my expenses. While I’m spending less and saving more than I was this time last year, I have been spending more on entertainment (quite a bit more) than I did in March.
I typically associate seasonal spending with the holidays, but I looked […]
I am cheap (frugal?) about some of the strangest things. I haven’t wanted to pay for DSL because there are so many places (restaurants, coffee shops, parks) in my town where an enterprising blogger can get wi-fi for free. I was pretty resigned to the fact that I needed to leave the house if I […]
Last week Penelope Trunk wrote about her decision to hire a house manager and I have been fascinated with the idea ever sense. I have no business hiring someone to take care of household stuff given my current financial state - but it would be so wonderful to have someone on the payroll to take […]
About a month ago I signed up for the beta version of Quizzle, Quicken Loans’ free financial aggregator that provides users a snapshot of their personal financial situation, including home value. Quicken Loans is providing consumer access to Quizzle free of charge as a way to become the “top-of-mind” mortgage lender and capture additional mortgage […]
This is the first article in my series BankerGirl Plans a Wedding - an honest account of my wedding decisions and the related expenses as they occur.
My fiancé and I are going to spend entirely too much on our wedding, and I have a lot of guilt about it. I haven’t written about my wedding budget […]
I don’t balance my bank accounts in the traditional sense - and I don’t follow a strict budget. I realize this flies in the face of most financial advice, but it works for me. Instead, I pay myself first (direct deposit into my ING savings account), and access each one of my checking accounts online […]
My finance and I will be marking a milestone soon - the five-year anniversary of our first date (and the one-year anniversary of our engagement) is approaching - and I’m conflicted about what is the “appropriate” and “allowable” amount to spend celebrating such a personal landmark (especially since I just recieved my tax return and […]