Sharing insights since 2007 on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom!
Managing your finances well means paying attention to where every single dollar goes.
So, it’s time to ask yourself: how much money are you losing to hidden fees?
Cell Phone Service
Purchasing a new cell phone these days is a very complex process, especially if you care about what you’re being charged for every month. Data plans can cost as much as $100 per month per phone, and you’ll need CPR if you ever go over your allowed data for the month and are charged overage fees per MB.
One phone we purchased required a $15 per month charge for “push to talk” service, which we couldn’t use unless someone else within a certain distance had the exact same phone. We had to pay for a service we couldn’t use, and the sales clerk conveniently didn’t point out the charge until after we got our first month’s bill — when it was too late to return the phone. [ continue reading… ]
Last week, I wrote an article discussing what to consider when buying a new car. My wife and I were planning on delaying our purchase, but we had to rearrange our plans when my car had some troubles. After bringing it to the shop, we decided it’d be a better idea to trade it in and get a new car than to fix it.
We purchased a Honda CRV and are very happy with our choice. We now have a car that is safe, reliable, and full of amenities. Now that we’ve completed our first car purchase, I’d like to share some pointers with you.
Research What You Want
We researched the cars for sale in our area and figured out which ones met our needs. As I mentioned last week, we wanted a mid-size SUV with the ability to operate smoothly in all weather. We decided on a Honda CRV with all-wheel-drive, as it offered the best in performance and fuel economy, and it performed well during our test drive. [ continue reading… ]
A couple of years ago, my son lamented that he had to “save up my money to get anything, but you and dad just go buy what you want.”
This perception of the way we run our finances served as a wake up call to my husband and me. We realized that we didn’t do enough talking about finances around our son. We explained to him that we do save up for the purchases we want. We told him that dad waited five months to buy his new laptop, and that mom set money aside for travel each month in order to avoid big bills later.
Shopping locally is a popular trend I’ve seen popping up everywhere from Facebook to the local news. This is one of my favorite ways to shop, since I despise visiting most large chain stores. When I drive past a Starbucks to the local family-run coffee shop to get my caffeine fix, I feel better about supporting the families in my community. I often get better service, friendlier greetings, and better quality goods from local shops, as well.
In addition to the fact that supporting local businesses helps my county’s economy, I can also qualify for a “local discount” in some areas. When I worked in Tennessee, the local discount exempted me from the 11.5% sales tax that was charged to tourists visiting the area. Ask your favorite local businesses if they offer a local discount, as it could definitely save you a few bucks every year. [ continue reading… ]
My wife and I have two cars, one of which is nearing the end of its life. So, we’re in the market for a new vehicle. My wife would like one that functions better in the snow when we’re up north in the winter, and we both want to get a brand new car that will be reliable and safe for years to come. We’ve decided on a mid-size SUV that checks all the boxes.
In recent years, my husband and I have started paying for convenience. Back in the days when we were both in grad school, scraping by with the help of student loans, we did a lot of penny pinching.
Ultimately, it comes down to priorities. My son and I went on a road trip recently, and one of the decisions I made was to stay at the Grand Canyon Ranch for the West Rim portion of our journey.
The cost of the Grand Canyon Ranch was more than we would pay by staying in Kingman, AZ or Las Vegas, NV. However, by staying far away, I would’ve had to alter our plans in terms of driving and timing. Plus, after enjoying time at Grand Canyon West, I knew I wouldn’t want to drive more than an hour to reach either of those locations. [ continue reading… ]
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