You all may remember when Madison hosted a writing contest here at My Dollar Plan in order to find staff writers for her site two years ago. I was one of the winners with my post The Automatic Poorhouse, where I detail how my husband and I self-inflict living paycheck to paycheck because I automate […]
My dad is finally embracing technology. He recently got his first computer and now he’s in the market for a cell phone. And of course after holding out for 60 years, he not only wants a cell phone, but a smartphone. Way to go dad! I searched for the cheapest way to get him on […]
There are basically two schools of thought in the financial community when it comes to saving money on purchases. One is to focus your efforts on saving money on the big purchases in your life, such as a home, a car, insurance, furniture, etc., and to not focus your attention on the everyday purchases. The […]
So many of you wrote helpful comments when I talked about needing to buy a new car… but I still haven’t done it! My very generous grandparents have a pretty new car that mostly sits in their driveway. When they heard I was moving home and would be temporarily carless, they offered to let me […]
Google recently announced their new mobile payment system, Google Wallet. It’s a free app on your smartphone to make purchases at bricks and mortar stores. Here are the highlights from Google: You’ll be able to store your credit cards, offers, loyalty cards and gift cards, but without the bulk. When you tap to pay, your […]
Most of you know that I’ve had a burning desire to downsize for years. A comment from a reader, Dora, really stuck in my mind. They were spending $4000 a month on their mortgage: My family (myself, husband, 2 year old, and 6 mo. old) are downsizing. We have lived in a 5800 sq. foot […]
During the recession an ancient form of economy made a comeback: bartering. Bartering occurs at the household, business, and country level. According to the International Reciprocal Trade Association, based in Portsmouth, Va., more than $16 billion of goods from US companies alone were bartered in 2008. Worldwide, the figure is much higher. The motivation behind […]
So…I’ve officially relocated to Texas! I’ve mentioned several times that I didn’t own a car in DC. It was a great way to reduce my expenses, contribute to environmental conservation efforts and get in a bit of daily exercise. On the east coast, public transportation is a way of life…in Texas, we drive. And like so many other […]
