My grandpa always knew of a workaround, and my mom always knew of a more frugal alternative.
In my family, few could rival my grandfather’s creativity in creating handmade equivalents. Naturally, he became the go to person whenever we needed a workaround. Bought a camera that didn’t come with a stand? Grandpa would fix that with a few paperclips (I’m not kidding). Had a garage door opener with a broken clip? Problem solved with a few strings.
My mom is extremely resourceful when it comes to ways of saving money. Just when you thought you got maximum mileage out of something you bought, my mom could always reuse it in a whole new way. Every time I thought buying was the only option, my mom would give a suggestion for a free alternative.
I was lucky to be so closed to them, but there’s no need to envy me. If you don’t know anyone resourceful, then become one yourself. It’s not like you are missing anything to do so. In fact, I’d argue that you have too much to truly become more creative. My grandfather figured out how to fix and make his own tools because he had no money to buy them. My mom figured out how to save money because she didn’t have much to spend and a whole family to feed. They didn’t even purposefully set out to become successful at it, yet they could in some way be categorized as experts of what they do. If you want to become successful, here are a few crucial points to remember.
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Bigger is always better. Or so they say.
We love to hear about a better deal, but these incredible offers usually trick us into spending more money than we should. Case in point – buy bulk. Don’t agree? Answer these three questions.
- How many times do you grab a can of soda because you just bought a huge case?
- How many times do you drink when you don’t have any in the fridge?
- How often do you eat more because your plate had more food?
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I know what you’re thinking. It’s not even Halloween yet so why in the world should we be thinking about the most dreaded day of the year, April 15th? The truth is, now is exactly the time when you should begin planning the preparation of your 2009 tax return. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
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I finally stopped myself from imaging that the ground is wobbling after a week on the cruise and as promised, here’s the big announcement I told you about.
Emma and I are having a child. Actually, she is already pregnant.
No, it wasn’t a magical night on the cruise but rather a planned event for months. Emma is 15 weeks pregnant and due to some ancient superstitious theory that my mom insisted we follow, we were not allowed to tell anyone until Emma finished the first trimester (the first three months of pregnancy).
I’m excited but nervous, while Emma is happy but tired. We must be the perfect couple.
We are moving onto a new stage of our lives, both emotionally and financially. I am so glad you’re apart of this great community and I will be sharing more with you in the coming weeks, months and years.
Have a great day.
I used to feel bad gambling, but I don’t anymore.
There was a time in my life when I would gamble socially. Every time I stumble across a casino table, I would play a couple hands. It was fun, and luckily, no harm done.
Eventually, I saw it as just another money drain. It was mathematically impossible to win, the more I played, the more I lost. With that in mind, my urge for gambling completely vanished. In fact, it’s been so long since I played that I don’t even remember what the excitement was like.
But now, at this very moment, I need to confess. I don’t feel bad gambling anymore.
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Despite the tepid national economy, home ownership remains one of the cornerstones of the American dream. For most people who are responsible with their mortgage application, it’s still a great investment for the long term.
But it’s not as easy as it sounds. For scores of prospective homeowners, the prospect of finding, then financing a new home can be daunting. The key is to take it a step at a time, and be as thorough as possible because purchasing a home is one of the biggest fiscal decisions a person can make. Rushing in or relying on ill-informed (or even ill-intentioned) lenders can lead to long-term disaster.
Prospective home buyers should bring a high degree of scrutiny to skepticism to the process. They should also keep an eye open for any and all ways to save money on their home mortgages. These are big-time expenses that can handcuff families financially for years. Finding ways to save even a little each week or month can make a huge difference over the life of a mortgage.
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