One thing that my husband and I did not do much of after purchasing our first home together in 2009 is survey the property for any security weaknesses and address them. We know that we do not want to purchase a security system, but there are still frugal alternatives that we can do in order [...]
Articles by Amanda
I recently caught up on my magazine reading for the first quarter of 2013. In doing so, I discovered a Businessweek article on a very distressing financial matter in Cyprus, one that we should all be concerned about (and particularly the savers among us). The Cyprus bailout is a good reminder for all of us [...]
Are You Interested in Mystery Shopping?
Posted byMy friend Helen introduced me to Mystery Shopping about two years ago. I had heard about it, and was very curious (if not a little skeptical) about its potential in my money-saving toolbox. She mentioned in a conversation that she had not paid for an oil change in over three years. Boy did that pique [...]
Financial Moves to Make as Newlyweds
Posted byOn account of our three year anniversary, I thought it would be a great idea to discuss the finances of a newlywed couple since it’s so fresh on my mind. Based upon the decisions that you made in the first article in this series, 6 Financial Topics to Discuss Before Marriage, there are several things [...]
You’re engaged! Congratulations! I mean that from the bottom of my heart, as it was only three and a half short years ago that I was in your position. Announcing to everyone that we were engaged was such a fun time, and it was so nice to receive everyone’s genuine well wishes and excitement for [...]
New Pay As You Earn Student Loan Program
Posted byOne of the trendiest and most pressing topics in personal finances is the devastating amount of debt graduating with college students. Large debt loads saddle new graduates with large monthly payments. Couple this with sometimes unmarketable degrees that do not translate well in the workforce and a wavering economy, and we see that some students [...]
How to Moonlight Successfully
Posted byMoonlighting—working at another job, often at night, in addition to a full-time job—has been gaining in popularity over the last several years. This is because of the need for more income due to Recession financial messes: furloughs, lower wages, and higher mortgage/apartment rental payments. Aside from financial need, many people choose to moonlight in order [...]
I purchased a smartphone for the first time a year and a half ago after attending a personal financial conference where all of the other writers were running circles around me on social media and the like. As a writer myself, I realized that having one could be very helpful for me as well. However, [...]
Do you live in an area where electricity has been deregulated, meaning you sift through hundreds of electricity offers every time your contract is up? From someone who does, I can honestly say that it is both a blessing and a curse. Trying to figure out the best cost per kilowatt in light of baseline [...]
Have you ever wondered whether or not you can sign a tax return for someone else? With the tax deadline nearing, let’s find out. Generally it is the responsibility of the taxpayer to sign their tax return, and if a tax return is not signed it is not considered valid by the IRS. But there [...]
