A $10 Dinner for Two at T.G.I Fridays

I received an email a week or so ago from the Gold Points program currently utilized by T.G.I Fridays. In essence, Gold Points announced that the program is converting to a redemption-only program on April 1, 2008. T.G.I. Fridays will continue to redeem awards through April 30, 2008, but after that they are transitioning over … Read more

The AAA Card Can Save You Money

Shortly after my sixteenth birthday my dad bought me an old, used Ford Escort. That Ford Escort was nothing but trouble. It broke down at the most inopportune times, leaving me stranded on the side of the road on a number of occasions. About a year after buying that old bomb my dad bought me … Read more

Simple Steps to Save Money

While waiting for a prescription at the drugstore I took a few minutes to leaf through the latest issue of Natural Health magazine. In an article called Save the Planet Today the magazine listed 16 ways you can reduce your impact on the earth. As is often the case I found that some of the … Read more

Counting Coins

As a kid I was fascinated with coins. Every few weeks my father would count his coins and roll them into coin wrappers. I vividly remember the first time I helped him count the change. He let me start with the pennies, because they were, (of course), the easiest coins to count. My dad has … Read more

Is Organic Produce Worth the Money?

Frugal Babe’s recent post about green smoothies inspired me to pull my blender out of storage. Honestly, I’m not ready to drink spinach and kale, at least not yet. I figured I’d start with the fruit versions first and work my way up to the hard-core green ones as time progresses. My first smoothie concoction … Read more

Financial Lessons From the Fairy Tales

I found a print version of the following list of financial fairy tale lessons in an article called fairy-tale finance by Melissa Balmain. Be patient while your nest egg grows — and for goodness’ sake, forget about making a killing. —The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg Beware of shaky real-estate investments — The Three … Read more

Even My Horoscope is Focused on Finances

For Monday, March 17 -If you feel pressured to spend a lot of money today, do not give in! If friends feel like going out for an elaborate dinner, suggest a pizza instead. If everyone’s got that latest gadget and you’re feeling left out, just focus on the fact that you’ll have more cash later … Read more

Fighting Temptation

I am a huge fan of college basketball. Huge. Every March, I sit two feet away from the tiny flat screen TV in our living room, so I can watch the ACC and NCAA tournaments up close. While my husband is working I’m constantly screaming scores up the stairs and shouting for him to come … Read more

Being Honest Cost Me $9729

Yesterday we received our mortgage papers in the mail and drove over to Fed-Ex to have them notarized. As we flipped through the pages in search of signature flags and notary signs I came across a document called the occupancy affidavit. In essence, it stated that we would need to claim the property as our … Read more

Will This Be Our Last Mortgage?

We purchased our first home for roughly $250,000 in 2001, just five days after my 24th birthday. Four years later we purchased our second home in North Carolina for roughly $600,000. Our current loan is a 30 year term at 6%. In all due honesty I thought we’d be strapped to pay for it each … Read more