Smart spending is all about using your money wisely — it is about reducing your expenses and making good buying decisions. Basically, these articles cover everything you need to know to make the most of your money. Additionally, check out these related sections: budgeting, taxes, and insurance and risk management.
Smart Spending is a part of expense management.
Are you looking for a way to get into Costco for less? Our family has been Executive Costco member for over ten years, so we know a thing or two about Costco. If you are not sure if the $60 or $120 membership fee is worth it (psst…it is!), we have a couple of methods … Read more
Sometimes you just need to stop spending money for a few days. Maybe you are already over budget, or close to it, and the month isn’t over. Perhaps you have savings goals with deadlines and need to kick a little extra towards one of those goals before the deadline comes and goes. Or maybe you … Read more
The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule or the law of the vital few, is an observation that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. I often use the Pareto Principle in my job, primarily when we work on quality or process improvement projects. A beautiful thing about Pareto is … Read more
I recently came across the How to Drive Free and Retire Rich on Dave Ramsey’s site. It basically said the normal way of thinking about car ownership is all wrong, and there is a better way to go about this. Dave Ramsey proposes that you save your money first, invest, and use the proceed to … Read more
One of the quickest ways to improve your finances is to reduce your expenses and find more ways to save money. This article is a compilation of various money saving ideas curated into one big list. The idea behind this list is that you can go down the list and pick out ideas and apply … Read more
“A penny saved is a penny earned” is a famous phrase often attributed to Benjamin Franklin. However, Ben never said these exact words (at least according to the Franklin Institute, and if he did, he would be wrong! A penny saved is much better than a penny earned. This is one reason why being frugal is such … Read more
In many cultures around the world negotiation is a part of every day life. No one pays the listed price for an item; you haggle until an agreement is reached. In American society this is practically unheard of. We tend to see the price tag, determine if we can afford it, and swipe the credit … Read more
My wife and I are always looking for ways that we can improve our family’s bottom line. Whether it’s through finding ways to make more money on the side, finding ways to save on regular monthly expenses or by finding ways to save on our taxes, we’re always on the lookout for ways to save. … Read more
The United States may be one country, but there are variations in the cost of living from one state to the next, and they can be substantial. Not everyone can afford to pick up and leave the state they’re living in to go to one where the cost of living is lower. But if you … Read more
One of the money saving techniques that has gained in popularity since the financial crisis and subsequent recession is couponing. Many households are looking to save any amount of money that they can, and clipping coupons is one way to save. Serious couponers claim that they can save up to 50% on shopping costs with … Read more