Here at MoneyNing.com, we’re all about encouraging good financial habits and motivating the community to save smart, make more money and give back. But sometimes those goals are hard to accomplish alone! That’s why we’ve created the #MoneyThing campaign, which will run through June 2014.

“Money’s not the center of our lives, but it can connect us to what is. Show us that #MoneyThing!”

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How to Participate

Take a picture with your phone or camera and upload it to your Facebook or Twitter account. Share a brief description of your #MoneyThing and why it motivates you to save more, spend smarter, or make better financial decisions. How is your #MoneyThing helping you reach your goals? [ continue reading… ]

Perhaps you’ve been hearing about one of the newest technological developments in the car insurance industry: pay-as-you-drive.

A device is installed in your vehicle that tracks how many miles you drive in the course of a month, how safely you drive, or a combination of both — depending on your insurance company. Several major providers such as Allstate, State Farm, and Progressive have already implemented this technology with some of their customers.

Here’s the low-down on this new type of car insurance: [ continue reading… ]

While sitting at the kitchen table, I was reconciling the checking account by entering transactions into the register. My wife walked up beside me and dropped off a receipt from a cut and color she’d received earlier that afternoon. I saw the amount charged, as well as the amount she’d written in for a tip. It was something I’d seen countless times before.

As a tip, she’d left about 5%.

The Problem with Tipping

I should probably mention here that I’m not a huge fan of tipping. I’d much prefer merchants to raise their prices enough to pay their staff and get rid of the awkwardness of trying to figure out who to tip and how much. But, given that’s not happening anytime soon, I’m doing the best I can to live within the system. [ continue reading… ]

“Can you really make money online?”

This is a question I’ve been asked over and over since quitting my day job in October 2013. When I answer yes, I’m either given a blank stare or asked about some type of program that is clearly a scam.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: you really can make money online. BUT, you also have to really work for it.

Here are some of the most common ways you can make money online: [ continue reading… ]

It’s no secret that I love my Health Savings Account (HSA). I make regular contributions, and even maxed out my contribution last year.

The HSA isn’t for everyone, but if you have a high-deductible account, and can afford the out-of-pocket costs until you meet you deductible (I rarely meet my deductible, because I have few health care services needs), it can be a great tool.

Not only are your contributions to the account tax-deductible, but you can also withdraw the money tax-free when you use it for qualified health care expenses. This means you don’t have to pay taxes on your earnings if you use the money for the right things (watch out for penalties if you don’t, though!). Plus, your HSA can serve as another IRA if you build it up by the time you reach 59 1/2, with the same rules as a Traditional IRA when you use money for non-health expenses.

Many people remain unaware of some of the benefits of the HSA and are making the following three mistakes. Are you? [ continue reading… ]

One of my goals in life is to be a contestant on Jeopardy.

I don’t have any illusions about being the next Ken Jennings, but I do have a very good memory for trivia — to the point where my husband refuses to play Trivial Pursuit with me anymore. Pair my status as a walking encyclopedia of useless information with my general lack of stage fright (teaching high school cured me of that), and I think I could potentially clean up on Jeopardy. Well, as long as there weren’t too many sports questions.

Even though visions of Alex Trebek and Daily Doubles dance in my head, I do know that winning Jeopardy will never be my path to riches. Because even if I were able to pull of the kind of streak that Ken Jennings did, I wouldn’t be able to take home all the money I earned.

Here’s the truth about winning big on a game show — the side of winning they don’t tell the viewers watching at home: [ continue reading… ]