finance
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Budget-Friendly Vacation Ideas: Affordable Getaways & Travel Tips
Its been a long time since my wife and I had the luxury of thinking in terms of vacation. When we came to America more than 30 years ago, we also discovered two things: People in America work
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Maximize Your Time Off: 5 Ideas for a Productive Staycation
According to a recent blog by the Wall Street Journal, Americans leave $52.4 billion on the table each year in unused paid time off (not including sick or personal leave). This lowers employee p
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Affordable Pet Care: Budget-Friendly Tips for a Healthy Companion
Theres no such thing as a free puppy. Or kitten. Or hamster, lizard, fish or rabbit. Even if someone hands you a critter outright, you can expect to spend between $580 to $875 a year for basic
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Student Loan Repayment: A Practical Guide for Borrowers
[This is the first installment in a series examining repaying student loans. Part II will discuss an alternative payment plan, Revised Pay As You Earn or REPAYE.] As someone who started off her d
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Emergency Preparedness: 11 Frugal Ways to Build a Survival Kit
According to the U.S. government, all citizens should have enough supplies to survive for at least three days in an emergency. Depending on where you live, “emergency” could mean torn
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Beat McDonald's All-Day Breakfast: Quick & Affordable Alternatives
Are there seasons in your life where youre more likely to swing through the drive-thru because youre tired, stressed, or overwhelmed? Fall is like that for me. My friends start talking boots and
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Graduation Budgeting: A Guide for New Graduates
If you are a recent graduate, congratulations and best wishes for your success! Whether you were lucky enough to have a job lined up right after completing your degree or not, whether you gradua
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Investing vs. Debt Repayment: Which Should You Prioritize?
Its a difficult choice: On the one hand, you understand the need to begin investing early to make the miracle of compounding work for you; on the other hand, you know that, when you have debt,
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Student Discounts: How to Unlock Savings with Your Student ID
Student discounts are an interesting topic. They dont typically give you a discount for anything on campus, because those amenities are paid for by your tuition and “miscellaneous registrat
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Retirement Funding: Student Loans vs. Investing - A Balanced Approach
In my recent post, “Why investing can be better than paying down debt,” Dianecys comment raised a question faced by many: What do you do about investing when you have student loans?
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Choosing the Right Computer: A Practical Spending Guide
Decide to buy a computer these days and immediately youre confronted with a complex decision process wherein you pit features against price. The choice is intensely personal and a total reflectio
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Raising Financially Savvy Kids: Unexpected Benefits of Paying for Chores
One of our parenting goals is to rear frugal kids. Take care of their stuff. Spend wisely. Save for a rainy day. Making the goal is easy, but implementing the goal? Definitely harder. How Our (Cu
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Student Loan Repayment & Ethical Personal Finance: Navigating REPAYE & AGI
[This is the third installment in a series examining repaying student loans. Part I was a best practices guide for repaying student loans. Part II discussed an alternative payment plan, Revised P
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Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals: Strategies & Savings
Were you imagining a thermos of hot coffee, maybe even a sleeping bag or tent to protect you from the elements as you camp out for hot Black Friday deals? Maybe you enjoy the mad rush of adrenal
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Effective Monthly Savings Strategies: Build Financial Security
Is this the year to focus on saving more? If youve been disappointed when youve checked out your savings account balance, lets change that this year by figuring out how to save money each m
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Budgeting & Saving: Overcome Impulse Spending & Reduce Expenses
If you need tips to spend less money, youve come to the right judgment-free zone. I feel like I should introduce myself. “Hello. My name is Elissa, and I am an unconscious spender.” (“Hello, El
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Cut the Cord: A Step-by-Step Guide to Canceling Cable & Internet Services
I spend days psyching myself up to make the calls. My targets include the very companies that make dialing the number possible: communications providers. Why am I connecting with these connecto
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Senior Discounts: A Guide to Saving Money in Your Golden Years
I turned 53 on Tuesday. My daughter made me breakfast. My husband gave me roses. AARP sent me another membership solicitation. It all adds up to one thing: senior discounts. Like many, when the
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College Budgeting: 21 Proven Ways to Save Money
The graduation parties are over, and its time to get down to business. Armed with a sense of maturity and independence, you are ready to conquer your coursework in order to snare your first dre
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CSA Review: Is Community Supported Agriculture Worth the Cost?
We joined a CSA this year, our first time venturing into the realm of Community Supported Agriculture. I have been intrigued with the concept for several years, as I have friends who rave about
finance
- No-Fee Banking: What to Expect & How to Find It
- Calculate Your Net Worth: A Simple Guide to Financial Health
- Understanding Insufficient Funds: Causes & Consequences
- Understanding House Poor: Causes, Effects & Solutions
- Filing Taxes for a Deceased Person: A Comprehensive Guide
- Energy Savings & Tax Credits for Fall: Reduce Your Bills & Boost Your Refund
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Understanding Days of Inventory on Hand (DOH): A Comprehensive GuideDays of Inventory on Hand (DOH) is a metric used to determine how quickly a company utilizes the average inventory available at its disposal. It is also known as days inventory outstanding (DIO)Days I...
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Social Security Benefits & COVID-19: What You Need to Know
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted our lives and dealt a major financial blow to millions. But there’s at least a little bit of good news for recipients of Social Security or those who are...
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Understanding Accruals in Accounting: A Comprehensive GuideAn accrual is the basis of the accrual principle of accounting that adjusts the revenues earned and expenses incurred by a company at the end of a period, when no cash has been exchanged. The transact...
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Halloween Masks & COVID-19: Do They Really Work?Over the summer, the most fitting slogan for these weird times came from some amusement park executives in Japan. In an odd and viral video, in which two men in suits ride a rollercoaster with their m...