Earn, Save, and Live Joyfully.
Anytime after age 55 I will have access to pension benefits for a plan that is currently frozen and without a COLA (cost of living adjustments). In order to receive the full benefits I have to wait until age 65. If I take the pension prior to age 65 I will be penalized for early … Read more
Over at Woman’s Day you’ll find Mary Hunt’s list of 17 simple ways you can save money. Here are are a few of her ideas: Drink water. (Stop buying juices and soft drinks.) Cut back on extras. (One less dinner or movie out a month.) Purchase generic/store brand groceries. Stretch out the time between haircuts. … Read more
Two weeks ago I wrote about my horrific trip to the hospital including my fight with the receptionist over projected hospital bills. Here’s a brief recap of what happened. Three hours prior to my appointment I was informed that my insurance company refused to pay for my procedure. According to the receptionist the insurance company … Read more
About a year ago I began a subscription to the weekend edition of the Washington Post so I could try my hand at clipping coupons. Since that time I’ve managed to save a ton of money on personal hygiene products like toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo and razors. I’ve also saved a ton on cleaning products … Read more
To attain a large sum of money in a relatively short amount of time it is necessary to prepare, work hard, budget (even if you don’t create a formal spreadsheet), and restrain yourself from fruitlessly spending money. It also helps to be well educated and to pick a career that yields a high paycheck. But … Read more
As I looked over the 2007 income statement I wasn’t surprised by too many of the numbers. As usual we spent quite a bit of money on our two homes. Over $37,000 in interest payments alone. My husband’s new $10,000 camera equipment was a little higher than I expected, but we both see that as … Read more
In today’s post over at the Simple Dollar Trent asks the question when is frugality stealing? The debate stems from an earlier post where Trent explained how he read the recipe from a bookstore cookbook into his voice recorder so he wouldn’t have to purchase it. If you haven’t checked out this post and the … Read more
At 10:30 this morning I received a phone call from the hospital. The receptionist informed me that my insurance company denied coverage for an upcoming procedure. The procedure was scheduled only three hours later at 1:30 in the afternoon. In order to be seen I had to authorize direct billing. If I didn’t agree my … Read more
Yesterday I headed down to the outlet mall. I didn’t initially plan on spending any money. I just wanted to poke around to see if the deals were better than I can find at local department stores. I imagined that most of the items would be priced well below retail, but in fact many of … Read more
Ebates is currently offering cash back on gift cards at a select number of stores. I wonder if it makes sense to purchase gift cards for myself. I’ll not only receive cash back for purchasing the cards but I’ll also earn additional cash back if I use the cards to make online purchases via Ebates. … Read more